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GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



OR- 



There is Another Fact, 

AND THAT IS, 

Rev G:W. Wilson, Evangelist, 

OF THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS CONFERENCE, 

With, an Introduction by Rev, JAMES LEATON, D. D., of the 
Illinois Conference IT. E. Church. 




Rev. G. W. WILSON, 
Box 1G5, Jacksonville, Ills. 

1887. 



THE LIBRARY 
OV CONGRESS 

! WASHINGTON I 



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:&*•$** 



COPYRIGHTED, 1887, 

BY 

Rev. G. W. WILSON. 



PRESS OF 
CHAS. B. WOODWARD 

PRINTING AND BOOK MANUFACTURING CO 

911 TO 919 NORTH SIXTH ST. 
ST. LOUIS. 



^ VS <^_^? 

■© DEDICATION 

— few — 

To the many believers, who have earnestly re- 
quested the publication of this book, and who have 
been greatly aided, while this series of blackboard 
exercises, readings, and expositions have been de- 
livered — these pages are affectionately inscribed by 

The Author. 



f& ILLUSTRATIONS. §^ 



Portrait of Rev. G. W. Wilson. 
Get Right with God. 

Diagram of Lecture to Young People. 



r - ^ ^e)*(a^!: ^ — ei ^ 
TABLEjOF CONTENTS. © 

PAGE. 

Dedication 3 

Illustrations 5 

Preface 9 

Introduction 11 

CHAPTER I. 
Get Right With God 17 

CHAPTER II. 
Paul's Statement of Doctrine 20 

CHAPTER III. 
Paul's Professions and Experiences 27 

CHAPTER IV. 

The Two Experiences :. ; 53 

CHAPTER V. 
Infirmities 70 

CHAPTER VI. 
Scriptural Holiness 81 



VIII CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

CHAPTER VII. 
A Genuine Revival 99 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Baptism of the Holy Ghost 124 

CHAPTER XI. 

Faith 137 

CHAPTER X. 
Divorce 156 

CHAPTER XI. 
Restitution and Reconciliation * 178 

CHAPTER XII. 
Questions and Answers 193 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Address to the Young .! 204 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Nuggets of Gold 225 

CHAPTER XV. 

The Author's Experience 227 

Conclusion 240 



PREFACE. IX 



r^^cc^j 



^PREFACEP 

"Not myself, but the truth that in life I have spoken, 
Not myself, but the seed that in life I have sown, 
Shall pass on to ages — all about me forgotten, 
Save the truth I have spoken, the things I have done.'* 

BONAR. 

Having given the contents of this book to many con- 
gregations, through the aid of the blackboard, and 
witnessed the golden harvest they have produced, many 
friends also desiring these thoughts in a more perma- 
nent form, I have consented at last after many urgent 
solicitations to publish them. This work was done in 
the midst of the most arduous labors, during glorious 
revival services, and is not issued for the critical eye, 
but to aid the less learned in divine things, to a more 
complete life in God. The title is the motto of our 
life work to aid the masses to " Get right with God." 

It would be difficult to put in form in such a small 
volume, a full exposition of the teachings occupying 
from fifty minutes to an hour, for many weeks at a 
time, but those who have heard them delivered can 
discover the principal thoughts. 

When these expositions were given, what little influ- 



X PREFACE. 

ence the speaker had, accompanied the oral discourse. 
However the "written word" may greatly aid the 
more meditative ; so with this thought in mind, and the 
oft repeated request for the publication of this little 
volume, we launch it out on the sea of time. My 
heart's desire and prayer to God, is that his blessing 
may rest upon this book, and make it a means of doing 
some good. If this should be the case, I shall feel 
abundantly rewarded for writing it. 

G. W. WILSON 

Jacksonville, Ills., June, 1887. 



INTRODUCTION. XI 



3 INTRODUCTION?© 

Kesponsibility grows out of relation, and is 
measured by knowledge and ability. Our re- 
sponsibility to God is based upon the two-fold 
relation we sustain to him. He has made 
us and preserved us, and therefore has a just 
claim upon us for our service ; and in addition to 
this he has redeemed us by the blood of his only 
begotten Son. Hence Paul declares, "Ye are not 
your own, for ye are bought with a price ; there- 
fore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, 
which are God's." 

Had man retained the image of God, in which 
he was created, he would not have been "bought 
with a price ;" the responsibilities growing out of 
his relation to God as his Creator and Preserver 
would have been fully met, and the innate recti- 
tude of his nature would have been manifested in 
the joyful service of a loving and obedient child. 
But he fell, losing the image of God, and becom- 
ing incapable of meeting his responsibilities ; and 
then God, in his wonderful love for man, "bought 
him with a price," redeeming him from the con- 
demnation of the law he had broken, and restor- 



XII INTRODUCTION. 

ing to him the lost privileges and blessings of 
probation. "God commendeth his love toward 
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died 
for us." 

But this purchase of man by the sufferings and 
death of Christ does not reinstate him in the favor 
of God ; it only renders his reinstatement possi- 
ble. It does not restore to him all he lost in the 
fall, but it makes conditional provision for its 
restoration. It places him in a position in which, 
by the exercise of faith in Christ, he can be re- 
stored to the divine favor ; and it opens up to 
him a way by which he may escape all the evil 
consequences which sin has brought upon him, 
and be restored to all that he lost by the fall. 
But until he avails himself of these gracious priv- 
ileges, and appropriates by faith the purchased 
and offered salvation, he remains in the condition 
into which sin has brought him, "dead in tres- 
passes and sins," under the condemnation of the 
law, and exposed to endless banishment from God. 
"He that believeth not is condemned already." 
"He that believeth not the Son shall not see life ; 
but the wrath of God abideth on him." 

This is the condition in which all men are whilst 
unsaved. The voluntary separation of man from 
God, causing the loss of the divine image w T hich 
is righteousness and true holiness, has left him 
with a nature alienated from God, incapable of 



INTRODUCTION. XIII 

rendering acceptable service to him, ignorant of 
his ways, and disposing to acts of disobedience 
and rebellion against him. "The carnal mind is 
enmity against God, not subject to the law of God, 
neither indeed can be." "The understanding is 
darkened, being alienated from the life of God 
through ignorance, because of the blindness of the 
heart." "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, 
murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false 
witness, blasphemies." And because of the 
transgressions to which man's evil nature impels 
him, condemnation rests upon him. "Sin is the 
transgression of the law." "The soul that shi- 
ne th shall die." "The wages of sin is death." 
Having their conversation in the lusts of the flesh 
and of the mind, men are by nature the children 
of wrath. And leaving the world in this state, 
unholy in heart and under the condemnation of a 
violated law, admission into heaven is an impos- 
sibility. "Without holiness no man shall see the 
Lord." "There shall in nowise enter into it 
(heaven) anything that defileth, neither whatso- 
ever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." 
The only possible doom of such is to be "pun- 
ished with everlasting destruction from the pres- 
ence of the Lord and from the glory of his 
power," and to "be cast into outer darkness, 
where shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." 
In view of this, to "Get Right with God" 



XIV INTRODUCTION. 

becomes the great need, the gracious privilege, 
and the bounden duty of every human being. 
The need, because, as stated above, men by na- 
ture and practice are wrong with God, alienated 
from him and enemies in their mind by wicked 
works, condemned already for their transgressions, 
and exposed to endless death. The privilege, be- 
cause "God so loved the world that he gave his only 
begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him 
should not perish, but have everlasting life ;" 
and through Jesus Christ, by faith in his name, 
the condemnation under which man rests may be 
removed, the impurity of his heart be eradicated, 
and he be made meet for the inheritance of the 
saints in light. And the duty, both because com- 
manded by God, and because it is the privilege ; 
for under the economy of grace, privilege always 
involves duty. "To him that knoweth to do good 
and doeth it not, to him it is sin." 

These are the great truths, fundamental to 
Christianity, and vital to salvation, which are 
dwelt on in this volume. The manner in which 
they are treated by the Author is peculiar. In his 
labors as an Evangelist, he gives frequent Bible 
readings upon the various phases of Christian ex- 
perience, or upon topics suggested by the need of 
those for whose salvation he is laboring. But 
this is not peculiar to him. Most of the success- 
ful evangelists of the day find the systematic pre- 



INTRODUCTION. XV 

sentation of Scripture truth in the form of Bible 
readings an important aid in their efforts for the 
salvation of souls and the edification of the saints. 
But in the manner of these readings Mr. Wilson 
is peculiar. Not satisfied with the employment 
of the voice alone to impress the truth upon the 
hearts of his hearers, he makes much use of the 
blackboard ; and by diagrams, proof texts, brief 
statements, etc., seeks to reach the heart through 
the eye as well as through the ear. He believes 
that the counsel of Moses to the Israelites is as 
valuable now as when given more than three thou- 
sand years ago. * 'These words which I command 
thee this day shall be in thine heart, and thou 
shalt write them upon the posts of thy house 
and on thy gates;" thus presenting a standing 
blackboard exercise for the benefit of all who 
might enter the dwelling. In this feature of his 
work Mr. Wilson has been eminently successful. 
His illustrated Bible readings, for such they really 
are, have not only added much to the interest of 
his services, but have constituted an important 
element of his success. 

In this volume he presents a number of these 
readings in a form somewhat different from that 
in which he has heretofore given them to the 
public. The presence and voice of the living 
teacher with his burning words, giving emphasis 
and force to the truth presented to the eye on the 



XVI INTRODUCTION. 

blackboard, may be absent, but the Truth is 
here, and it is that which, quickened and energized 
by the Holy Spirit, becomes the power of God 
unto salvation to every one that bclieveth. As- 
sured that this little volume can only be product- 
ive of good, it is commended to the public with 
the prayer that its circulation may be both w T idc 
and permanent, and that it may be the means of 
inducing many, who may never be permitted to 
listen to the living words of the author, to "get 
right with God." 

James Leaton. 

Jacksonville, III., June, 1887 . 




get right \vith god 



17 



GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



No Other Way. 



SelfCrucifixion. 



[ 



"It is this or 
Nothing." 



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Are you Crucified? 



RIGHTEOUSNESS IS 



Self nailed to the Cross, 

with both hands toward 
Heaven, facing God. 



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18 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



VW"HE foregoing design is the result of a few 
moments illumination while at the blackboard 
\, one afternoon ; the effect upon the audience 
was so marked I have chosen it for the opening 
pages of this humble work. The question was 
asked — What is a proper emblem of righteous- 
ness ? We immediately drew a perpendicular line 
on the board, and then suggested we stand our- 
selves up against the line. The discovery was 
instantaneous, that self was perverted by sin — 
and needed to be fastened to the perpendicular 
line. For this purpose we drew a horizontal line 
across the upper part of the perpendicular one, 
and, lo, a cross appeared in view — Righteous- 
ness comes by the way of the cross. I then asked, 
Is there no other way to " Get right with God?" 
and the response was, " No other w r ay." But if 
self is perverted by sin, and by growth and moral 
habit is out of line with righteousness, we must 
be unrighteous in proportion to the perversion of 
self ; therefore if we become righteous, the per- 
verted self must be destroyed. This is done by 
the Christ-life taking the self-life and crucifying 
it unto himself. We must counteract the idea 
that self is to be educated,, refined, trained, and 
disciplined, by imitating the life of Christ. 



GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 19 

That which is distinctively the self-life, may, 
or may not, be wanting in moral rectitude. If it 
is perverted by sin, as in the case of every human 
being under the fall, of course, it is wanting in 
moral character — as like produces like — but in the 
case of Jesus there was no inherent moral bias, 
and yet it was subjected " even unto the death of 
the cross," for the accomplishment of the Divine 
will. The life that subjected Jesus unto death for 
the accomplishment of the divine purpose to save 
the world, is the life that nails us to the cross, so 
the divine purposes may be accomplished in us. 
Christ had the power to preserve himself from 
death, but the Divine will would not thereby have 
been accomplished. 

Rigid being is essential to rigid doing. If we 
ourselves are not right, our actions cannot be ; 
however, they may possess that appearance. A 
perverted being is not a right being, and God's 
method to make us right is by the crucifixion of 
self. We are made right by a divine process ; we 
must be crucified unto the world, flesh, and self. 
The "old man" must be crucified, that we should 
serve God in " righteousness and true holiness." 
Are you, dear reader, " crucified with Christ?" 
Has the self within been slain? and you "dead in- 
deed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus 
Christ, our Lord." May the eternal Spirit lead 
you into the fullness of the blessing of Christ. 



20 GET RIGHT WITH GOT) 



PAUL'S STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE. 



*VF you will turn to your Bible;, and open at the 

fifth chapter of Romans, you will find five cli- 
Vmaxes, each one beginning with a "much more," 
indicating that the truth to which the Apostle 
is about to call attention is of a deeper vein than 
its predecessor. In the 9th verse the Apostle sets 
forth the doctrine of Justification, "we are now 
justified by his blood" — (not his love), the 
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Divine Love cannot save from wrath, without 
a recognition on the part of the individual, of the 
atonement made for his sins, by the blood of 
Jesus. 

Divine Love itself is subject to law, and must 
be righteous, as well as tender in its administra- 
tion. 

Justification does not make right any past trans- 
gressions against God, nor does it interfere with 
the law of cause and effect, in producing the re- 
sult of wrong doing upon ourselves, our offspring, 
or the race. 

A life of profligacy will result in a depleted 
physical force— imbecile offspring and a degener- 



Paul's statement of doctrine. 21 

ate moral progeny — though pardoned, through 
faith in the blood of Jesus Christ. 

Nor does God recognize in the individual, any 
reason why he should account him just, and ex- 
empt from punishment due to his lawlessness. 

Either the sinner must be pressed under the 
burden of conscious guilt forever, or a reason for 
a hope of better things must be given him, and 
that reason originated in the mind of God when 
he instituted the plan whereby " he could be just, 
and the justifier of those that believe in Jesus." 

Whoever repents, forsakes, confesses his sins 
and believes Jesus, " bore his sins on the tree," 
shall be pardoned for all the past transgressions 
and " saved from wrath through him." 

"And can it be that I should gain 

An interest in the Saviour's blood? 

Died he for me who caused his pain, 

For me who him to death pursued? 

Amazing love! how can it be 

That thou, my Lord, shoulclst die for me?" 

Turn again to the 10th verse, and you will find 
another " much more," setting forth the doctrine 
of regeneration, " we shall be saved by his 
life." 

" Saved from wrath " is glorious ; to have the 
impending doom set aside forever, what a blessed 
thought? but, what if we sin asrain — and brinp; 
upon ourselves the same divine displeasure, sin 



22 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

against light, conscience and pardoning mercy ; yet 
this is inevitable without a change of nature. We 
were " conceived in sin, and shapen in iniquity ;" 
the bent and grooving of our moral nature is 
downward, and hell ward. This we have inherited 
and strengthened by our own unholy choices, and 
perverted affections. But, while we possess the 
power to destroy ourselves and increase our de- 
pravity until we reach the place where our choices 
will be fixed to love what God hates, and that be- 
cause God hates it, it is also possible to have our 
natures renewed, by the impartation of the divine 
nature, as to enable us to love what God loves 
and hate what God hates. 

There cannot be too much stress laid on the 
fact that the divine nature is imparted to us, that 
a life outside of ourselves, not of ourselves, en- 
ters our moral being, and by virtue of its exalted 
nature controls, permeates, and actuates us. 

This is the "New Birth," the being "born 
again" or " from above," and thus we are "saved 
(from sin) by his life," not by something done 
for us, but in us. John in 1st Epistle, 3rd chap- 
ter, 9th verse, sets forth this fact. 

The divine " seed " in the human heart imparts 
divine life to the soul, and will continue to shape 
and mold the entire beins: in the likeness and 
image of God until the image is perfect, if not de- 
stroyed by sin. 



PAUl/S STATEMENT OF DOCTRINE. 23 

A deliberate, unholy choice destroys the divine 
seed, the sin principle becomes active again, and 
Jesus as a personal Saviour is lost to the conscious- 
ness of the individual. 

That he has- been a Saviour to the regenerate 
heart is a fact nothing can destroy, and this only 
increases the misery of every backslider. 

The same Apostle says: "Hereby know we 
that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath 
given us of his spirit;" and again, "We know 
we have passed from death unto life because we 
love the brethren," but love is death to sin ; 
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor." Sin is 
selfishness in its essence, and we cannot be under 
the law of selfishness, and love at the same time, 
but love is the fruit of the Spirit, and cannot ex- 
ist in the heart where the divine Spirit is not, and 
it is by possessing the divine Spirit we receive 
life. The same Spirit that was in Jesus is in 
every true believer, and therefore we are " saved 
by his life." 

In the 15th verse of the same chapter you will 
find another "much more," referring to the 
" grace of God" and its universality. 

Death spiritual and physical came upon the 
race as the result of Adam's transgression. He 
being the progenitor of the race, his offspring could 
not be purer in moral character than himself, and 
had there been no redemptive scheme, no " grace 



24 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

of God," the race must have perished. But this 
grace is manifest in more than the continuance of 
the physical life of the race. God in his love 
would not permit us to project into existence, a 
dead spirit as the result of our own transgression, 
therefore every son and daughter of Adam's race 
comes into this world alive in Christ Jesus, and 
under the influence of divine grace, has power to 
resist sin and make an unbiased choice, resulting 
in reward or punishment. 

Speaking of the relation of our offspring, Jesus 
said as He took them up in His arms and blessed 
them, " Of such is the kingdom of heaven," and 
"Except ye be converted and become as little chil- 
dren, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of 
heaven." 

While our offspring inherit a moral bias down- 
ward, they are also under the " grace of God," 
and " the gift by grace " gives them a start God- 
ward, square to date. To permit a race to be pro- 
jected with moral bias downward is to subject it 
to the probabilities of being lost ; not by virtue of 
wrong choices, but overcoming moral bent toward 
evil, if there is no counteracting "grace of God," 
and is incompatible with the idea of divine jus- 
tice. If the race is continued and is under the 
power of inherent depravity, grace must provide 
for a something that holds in check the power of 
sin to leave the being free to an unbiased choice. 



Paul's statement of doctrine. 25 

Look again at the 17th verse and you will dis- 
cover another " much more," teaching us that this 
grace may be so abundantly bestowed that the per- 
son who possesses it "shall reign in life." The 
grace is a gift and may be "received" in such 
measure that sin may be destroyed, the soul freed, 
and made to triumph over every foe, Christ being 
enthroned for a perpetual kingship in the heart 
of the believer who receives "abundance of 
grace" on the conditions upon which it is be- 
stowed. 

"Shall Keign." Every power of our being 
brought into subjection to a will in harmony with 
God's and made the willing subjects of the Lord 
Jesus Christ. All our members " servants of 
righteousness" "unto holiness." Not periodically 
cast down by rebel forces from within and the 
throne abdicated, but "shall reign." 

The 20th and 21st verses give us one more 
"much more," giving the duration of the pos- 
session of this " abundance of grace" "unto eter- 
nal life," reigning forever here and hereafter. 

" Above the world and sin 

With heart made pure, and garments white, 

And Christ enthroned within." 

Oh, blessed gospel, "saved from wrath," "saved 
by his (Christ's) life imparted," whereby we be- 
come "partakers of the divine nature," and this 
atonement is for all, "Whosoever will may 



2(5 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

come," and covers all the moral taint inherited 
from our parents, salvation bringing .into subjec- 
tion every power of our being to the complete 
will of God, and this forever. Amen, even so, 
Lord Jesus. 

We shall see in the next chapter whether Paul 
practiced and demonstrated his doctrinal beliefs in 
his life. 




Paul's pkofessions. 27 



PAUL'S PROFESSIONS. 



1. Eph. 3 : 8. A saint — a holy person. 

2. Rom. 6:2. Dead to sin. 

3. Gal. 2 :20. Crucified with Christ. 

4. Rom. 8:2. Freed from sin. 

5. I. Cor. 4:4. (R. V.) Knew nothing against 

himself. 

6. Acts 24: 16. Always a conscience void of 

offense. 

7. Rom. 7 :5 and 6. Motions of sins dead. 

8. Rom. 8:9. Indwelling spirit. 

9. Rom. 6:6. Old man crucified. 

10. Rom. 15:29. (R. V.) Fulness of the bless- 

ing of Christ. 

11. Eph. 3 : 19. All the fulness, prayed for. 

12. Phil. 4 : 12 and 13. Can do all things through 

Christ. 

13. II. Cor. 5 : 14. Constrained by love. 

14. Rom. 5 :3 and 5. Shed abroad, abundantly. 
15.. Rom. 8 : 35 to 39. More than conqueror. 

16. I. Cor. 9:19 to 22. All things to all men. 

Adaptability. 

17. II. Cor. 1:12. (R. V.) Behaved in holiness 

and sincerity. 



28 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

18. II. Cor. 6:3 to 10. An example to the min- 

istry. 

19. I. Thess. 2:10. God, and the church witnesses 

to his holiness. 

20. Phil. 3:17. Be ye followers of me, and 

21. Phil. 4:9. What ye received, learned, heard, 

and seen in me, do. 

22. I. Cor. 4: 16, 17. My ways. 

23. Phil. 3 : 15. Perfect as a racer. 

24. II. Cor. 7:4. Exceeding joyful in tribulation. 

25. Rom. 9 : 1 to 3. Unselfishness. 

26. I. Cor. 4 : 7 to 13. A spectacle to angels and 

men. . 

27. Acts 20: 19. Serving God in all humility of 

mind. 

28. Gal. 1:16. Conferred not with flesh and blood. 

29. Phil. 3:7 to 10. Counted all things loss for 

Christ. 

30. Acts 20 : 22 to 24. None of these things move 

me. 

31. II. Cor. 12 : 10 to 12. In nothing behind the 

chief est Apostle. 

32. Gal. 2 : 11 to 14. Withstood Peter to the face 

for principle. 

33. Phil. 1:21 to 23. To live is Christ, to die 

gain . 

34. II. Tim. 4 : 6 to 8. Ready to be offered. 



29 



Vy/HE foregoing pages contain the scriptural 
quotations with the Key-thought of this 
\ grand Apostle's professions. 

"A Saint. " With what becoming humility 
he professes, and yet how Scriptural the standard, 
" less than the least," yet, " a saint." Webster 
defines the name, "A holy person. " To profess 
to be " a saint " and a sinner at the same time is 
a contradiction in terms. So many teach Paul's 
highest experience to be " oh wretched man that 
I am, " and seem to be content with that type of 
experience themselves. No individual can be " a 
saint " and be in conscious violation of the word 
of God. 

" D^ad to Sin" not sins ; the term signifies a 
cessation of a life of sin, dead ; the life of sin ex- 
tinct ; as dead to the existence of life as the corpse 
in the tomb. Not dead in sin, the condition of 
every sinner, but "dead to sin. " 

'•* Crucified with Christ. " Here the Holy 
Spirit uses a figure of speech, to represent a fact ; 
"crucified." Whatever crucifixion means the 
Apostle had passed through. It is past tense, " I 
am crucified." 

Let us turn for a moment to the figure and dis- 
cover wherein Paul's experience, and the act of 
crucifixion are analogous, and wherein Paul was 
" crucified with Christ." 

Whatever this experience was, as to time, if we 



30 GET IlIGHT WITH GOD. 

abide by the figure, it could not have taken more 
than from 9 to 24 hours to have passed through 
it, as a human form usually reached the end of 
crucifixion, death, inside of that time. 

When life became extinct the person was cruci- 
fied, the body was dead. Surely they did not 
grow into it, grow " dead, " as some declare when 
they assert that this experience is that work of 
grace whereby we die more and more unto sin, 
and are made more and more alive unto God. 
Paul sa} r s : "I am crucified." * 'I live, yet not I, but 
Christ liveth in me." He says the work is accom- 
plished. 

But there is another fact, and that is, this of 
which Paul speaks, could not be a death unto sin, 
else it would not be crucifixion with Christ, who 
had no sin in his nature and never sinned. 

Christ's crucifixion was not for the purification 
of his nature, nor was his crucifixion merely 
physical. He said, "My soul is exceeding sorrow- 
ful, even unto death ;" nor was his agony most in- 
tense upon the cross. He was human as well as 
divine ; as much a human as a divine person, pos- 
sessed with selfhood, volitional freedom, a com- 
plete human body and soul, and was subjected to 
all the temptations man is heir to ; and because of 
its perfection, adverse to pain and death, espec- 
ially the ignominious death of the cross. Being 
perfect and sinless, that self had made no forfeit- 



31 



ures that necessitated his suffering and death. But 
he was in this world for a purpose : 

1st. To demonstrate to mankind that sin was not 
a necessity, as he never called his divine nature 
into requisition to save himself. 

2nd. To reveal divine Love to man, through 
the only method possible, the only way. The 
death of self for others. " Who gave himself for 
us . ' ' ' * Who loved me and gave himself for me . ' ' 
"He saved others, himself he cannot save." 
" If any man come after me, let him deny h tin- 
self" " For even Christ Jesus pleased not him- 
self" These and many other passages show 
that in Christ's sacrifice of himself the central truth 
of the Gospel is revealed. " God so loved the 
world, that he gave his only begotten Son," that 
we might not perish, bySELF-destruction, and that 
Son "gave himself for us," and his kingdom 
spreads in proportion to the measure of self-sacri- 
fice found in his professed followers. John, in 
his 1st Epistle says, " Hereby know we love be- 
cause he laid down his life for us, and we ought 
to lay down our lives for the brethren." The law 
is revealed in these words of Christ, " Whosoever 
will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall 
lose his life for my sake shall find it." (Eternal 
life). He gave his human nature for us that we 
might have his divine nature imparted to us. Not 
shall lose his physical life, but his self life, shall 
find eternal life. 



M Get right wiTrf Got). 

The crucifixion of self exalts man and opens the 
way for the complete transformation, into the per- 
fect will of God. 

Three times, Jesus, in intense anguish of soul, 
praying " more earnestly," asked that this cup 
might pass from him, but he received no answer 
till he cried out, "Not my will, but thine be 
done." Not that his will was not right, but the 
divine will was superior, and as an incentive to 
obedience, a joy was set before him. When he 
consented to the requirements of the divine will for 
the redemption of the race, he rose up and went 
forth to its accomplishment. If God could have 
devised a better plan he is the author of suffering. 
And from that time he appeared entirely oblivious 
to taunt, spear, gibe, crown of thorns, scourge, 
mock trial, all, all. Filled with the " joy set be- 
fore him, he endured the cross, and despised the 
shame," and to the Jesus, of our Lord, belongs a 
glory, we his disciples are to share, that accrues to 
him as the result of his sufferings, death, and res- 
urrection, and "as he is, so may we be in this 
present world." When self dies the loving heart 
sounds forth, "Thy will be done," and that will is 
our sanctification, exaltation, and glorification, 

"Now crucified with Christ I am, 

The self within is slain, 
But yet I live, and yet not I, 

Christ lives in me again." 

« < Freed from Sin.' ' Here the Apostle plainly 



taul's professions. 33 

states the law of life jn Christ Jesus hath made 
me free from the law of sin and death. The law 
of obedience, makes me free from disobedience. 
Righteousness, right being, resulting in right 
doing, frees from wrong doing, which is death. 
Right being comes from Christ in us, the life 
divine in the soul. Being in Christ, Christ being 
in us, the law of love to God and that " love that 
worketh no ill to its neighbor," has full play and 
the soul is freed from sin, 

" No condemnation now I dread, 

Jesus with all in him is mine; 
Alive in Him my living head 

And clothed in righteousness divine." 

" I know nothing against myself." Here Paul 
after a careful analysis of his inner consciousness, 
asserts he knows nothing against himself, no self 
condemnation, consequently no disobedience or 
violation of the law of love to God, or man. Yet 
the ground of his justification is not self-approval, 
but the witness within of the Divine Spirit. 
" Herein do I exercise myself to have always, a 
conscience, void of offense toward God and 
man" "Always," "I exercise myself." If 
this word was not inspired the matchlessness of 
this profession would seemingly shake our faith, 
in its genuineness, but as the Holy Spirit puts his 
seal on the testimony, we must look for the facts. 
He does not say herein do I exercise myself, that 



34 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

no one is offended at me, for this is impossible 
to a godly man. He had reached such a state of 
complete subjugation of himself to the will of 
God, that he always obej^cd God, and performed 
his whole duty toward his fellowinen, and thus 
fulfilled the whole law. 

Many have misleading views of that part of our 
being called conscience, and its relation to moral 
destiny, and some teach that exalted Christian 
character is the result of divine predetermination, 
thereby robbing the individual of the blessing of a 
reward growing out of continuous proper choices. 
It does not read " Herein I am not a whit behind 
the chiefest of the Apostles, because from all 
eternity it w r as fore-ordained, that in the first cen- 
tury of the Christian Era, God would want an 
Apostle for the Gentile world, and I was born, ed- 
ucated, converted, sanctified, and exalted to this 
place of spiritual pre-eminence by a divine fiat, 
that coerced me into this glorious relation just as 
color comes to the eye." If this was the case, 
then the Apostle assumes an untruth, for he says, 
" Herein do I exercise myself. " Indeed he lays 
so much stress upon his own choice, he apparently 
over-shadows that which is essentially divine in 
the work of salvation. But perhaps a better un- 
derstanding of that faculty of our being called 
conscience, will aid us in aright understanding of 
this wonderful testimony. Conscience is that 



Paul's professions. 35 

faculty of oar being by which we perceive right 
and wrong in the realm of our choices and inten- 
tions. 

There must be a place in man where God can 
sovereignly speak, and so present to him the moral 
quality of his choices, that he can distinguish be- 
tween right and wrong, as his personal and eternal 
well-being depend upon the choice he makes, for 
volition determines the moral quality of an act. 

God must have a place where the truth can be 
presented, unbidden to the sinner, and be made 
self-evident, and the conscience is the faculty 
which receives indelibly the truth from the Spirit of 
God, so that which is revealed to the conscience 
as truth to-day, will be truth forever, as regards 
moral choices. No amount of custom, or human 
reasoning can make that which God declares 
wrong, right ; and that which he requires as essen- 
tial to right being and right doing to-day, he will 
require forever, and in this matter God is Sover- 
eign, and man has no power. However, while he 
cannot destroy the truth God implants in him, 
and make wrong, right, he can sear over his ''feel- 
ing, that right ought, and wrong ought not to be 
carried out by the will," and by hardening his 
sensibilities, by the constant rejection of his feel- 
ing he ought to do right ; and persisting in unholy 
choices, and turning away from the truth he be- 
comes insensible to the true character of his sins, 



36 Get right with god. 

and their consequences. Paul obeyed this part of 
his nature, and ever kept himself open to a keen 
sense of divine requirement, and his duty to man- 
kind, and " conferring not with flesh and blood,'' 
did all that God, and his relations to man required 
of him, and thereby secured " a conscience void 
of offense toward God and man." 

" Motions of Passions Dead. " (R. V.) Un- 
der the figure of the relation of husband and wife, 
Paul describes the relation of true believer to 
Christ, and that we are dead to the loves that 
would cause us to be untrue to him, and our puri- 
fied affections are centered on the true object of 
our love, Christ Jesus, by us, his bride. Not only 
is the infidelity ceased, and we do not become un- 
true in acts to our relations, so sacred to Christ, 
but any desire to wander is removed, and the in- 
ward propensities, desires, and tendencies to un- 
faithfulness destroyed, and he, to us, " is the one 
Altogether Lovely, and the chief est among ten 
thousand." 

James in his Epistle, 4th chapter, and 5th verse, 
describes the same idea ; the margin of the R. V. 
reads thus : " The Spirit which he made to dwell 
in us, yearneth for us ,unto jealous envy." Now 
return to the figure, the husband desireth his 
wife wholly for himself. The bridegroom desireth 
the bride for himself, the Spirit desireth the be- 
liever for himself, — that "we should bring forth 
fruit unto God," 



PAUL'S PROFESSIONS. 37 

" My body, soul, and spirit, 

Jesus I give to Thee; 
A consecrated offering 

Thine evermore to be." 

Every passion, desire and affection brought 
into complete harmony with the will of God, such 
are the possibilities of grace here. Then nothing 
but pure love shall dwell in man. 

" The Spirit of God dwelling in us. " Here 
the Apostle speaks of the Divine Spirit dwelling 
in us ; this is in accordance with the language of 
John, in his 1st Epistle, 4th Chap., 13th Verse: 
" Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he 
in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. " 
Indeed he states elsewhere, " If any man have not 
the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his," and 
" What, know ye not that your body is the temple 
of the Holy Ghost, which is in you." He prays 
that the Church at Ephesus " might be strength- 
ened with might (how) by his Spirit in the inner 
man." Jesus speaking to the disciples says: 
"but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, 
and shall be in you." 

The only indubitable proof of divine acceptance 
is the witness of God, " The Spirit himself bear- 
eth witness with our spirit, that we are the chil- 
dren of God, " and John says, " No man can say 
Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit." 



38 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

" I worship Thee, O Holy Ghost, 

I love to worship Thee : 
My risen Lord, for aye were lost 

But for thy company. " 

" Old Man Crucified. " As I have dwelt at 
length upon the nature of the crucifixion, I will 
speak only of the " old man," the perverted sin- 
ful self, so made right by the indwelling Spirit, 
that every thing sinful is destroyed, and renewed 
self under his perfect control, constantly saying, 
" I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 

" I am sure when I come unto you, I shall come 
in the fidness of the blessing of Christ.''' Here 
Paul positively asserts his confidence in his having 
what he heretofore professed, "the fulness of the 
blessing," when he could find it convenient to visit 
the Roman brethren, and thereby asserts his being 
in its possession already. He certainly would 
not pledge his being in possession of an experi- 
ence on a future visit ; that cannot be possessed 
before death ; and yet, how often we are told this 
fulness cannot be realized in this life. What an 
army would invade the church militant, if every 
minister could write to his people as he comes to 
serve them in the Lord. "lam sure when I 
come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the 
blessing of Christ." How many hungry hearts 
want to verify the promise, " Blessed are they that 
hunger, and thirst after righteousness (right be- 



PAUL'S PROFESSIONS. 39 

ing) for they shall be filled." Who will tell them 
when, and how, from a clear evidence of its pos- 
session themselves ? 

"That ye might be filled with all the fulness of 
God." Here he prays for others for what he en- 
joys himself. If he did not believe it could be 
possessed, why pray for it ? Not that ye might 
contain all the fulness of God. You can fill a cup 
from the ocean, and it is the same as the ocean ; 
but it does not contain it. It is no trouble for 
God to fill our small cups out of the vast ocean of 
his love. He commands, "Be ye filled with the 
Spirit." 

" I can do all things through Christ which 
strengtheneth me." He does not say I can do 
a few things or many things, but " all things, " 
not of himself, for Christ said, "without me ye can 
do nothing." How we can talk of a marriage 
feast, or an accident, or some startling news, and 
yet, how many say they cannot speak for Christ. 
The \vhole world hears about the sweeping con- 
flagration, or the destructive earthquake, and by a 
common faith these themes are discussed, until 
every nook and corner has a pro and con view of 
the facts, th^r causes, effects. How many are 
telling of Christ crucified and risen, as a fact at- 
tested by a conscious inward touch of his power 
in the soul. Paul does not say God is a hard mas- 
ter, and many of his requirements are impossible 



40 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

to fulfill ; he knew God would not require a task 
he could not give power to perform. The power 
of Paul's sufficiency was Christ in him, and while 
he was wholly insufficient of himself ; his suf- 
ficiency was of God, and it not only enabled him 
to comply with all requirements, but, to " serve 
the Lord with delight. " 

There is a good, a better, and a best way to live. 
Some are willing to testify to the truth who are 
unwilling to suffer for it ; others are unwilling to 
fulfill it. How many refuse to pray in public, to 
talk to friends about their eternal interests ? How 
we make provision to accomplish our will in other* 
matters ? How we regret when our plans fail, 
upon which we have bestowed so much labor, for 
selfish ends ? How we can concentrate our ener- 
gies upon any object upon which our hearts are 
set, and if we think it worth possessing, do not 
hesitate to make considerable sacrifice of time, 
money, and energ} r for its realization. Indeed our 
time, money, and energy must go, and it must be 
used, and our stewardship served whether it is good, 
or bad . Why not do , what we do , for Christ and his 
glory, and secure the crown ? Is the work Christ 
calls us to worth the cost of labor and sacrifice re- 
quired? A certain minister was once delivering an 
address at the opening of an Orphan's Home that 
cost $440,000. In that address, he said if it would 
save one boy from ruin it would pay for all it cost. 



PAUL'S PKOFESSIONS. 41 

A friend deeming the assertion extravagant, said : 
"Bro. were you not mistaken?" and the answer 
was, " Not if it was my boy !" Oh ! how many 
tasks are unperformed, because we say we cannot 
do them. Remember, my reader, any task God 
requires you to perform that you can secure pow- 
er to do, if unsecured and thereby unaccom- 
plished, you are responsible to God for the results 
that grow out of their non-performance. " I can 
do all things through Christ." 

" So shall you share the wealth 

That earth can ne'er despoil, 
And the blest Gospel's saving truth 

Repay your arduous toil." 

44 The love of Christ constrain etk us.' 9 This is 
putting the above truth in another form ; the mo- 
tive power of our holy religion is love, love to 
God and man. Self-love restrains, Christ's love 
constrains ; self-love is contraction, Christ's love is 
expansion. Where self-love predominates self- 
destruction ensues in proportion to the love of 
self. " Oh Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself," 
saith the Lord. To love God, and man with all 
the heart is obligatory, because no man's powers 
can be fully developed, and his highest possible 
enjoyment secured, until he is filled with love as a 
constraining power, and this love is " shed abroad 
by the Holy Ghost given unto us." The Bible is not 
the love of God, neither is the promise ; the love 



42 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

is a fruit, inseparable of the Divine Spirit in us. 

** In all tilings more titan conquerors. " Here 
Paul names a list of those things in which we are 
more than conquerors ; tribulation, distress, perse- 
cution, famine, peril, sword, death, life, angels, 
principalities, powers, things present, things to 
come, height, depth, and any other creature. 
What a list to overcome ; what a glorious salva- 
tion that gives us complete victory over them all ? 
And yet, while Ave may have a complete victory 
over them all, we can separate ourselves from the 
love of Christ by one unholy choice. What all 
earth and hell cannot do, man himself can, he can 
choose to turn his back on the love of God, and 
forfeit his ri^ht to eternal life. 

" All things to all men, if by any means I might 
save some." Here he sets forth the law of adapt- 
tation,the meaning of which the Church has most 
woefully perverted He certainly does not mean 
when he is with sinners he is to adapt himself to 
their spirit and maxims — or, in the least, compro- 
mise one principle or righteousness, for the intent 
is "to save," and we know we cannot save, and 
sacrifice principle at the same time. He means 
that in non-essentials he yielded any point at issue 
to open an avenue to the heart of the sinner. This 
passage is often quoted in support of all means, 
questionable in their moral character, because the 
end sought is good. For instance, Paul in a 



PAUL'S PROFESSIONS. 43 

church kitchen dishing oyster soup, to get money 
for religious purposes, and to have a grander moral 
power over his congregation, and at the same time 
perpetrating shams on the people, and yet afraid 
to tell the sinner of his sins. Raffling off a crazy 
quilt for money to send the Gospel to the heathen, 
and the gossip perpetrated while it was being 
made, make the members feel heathenish toward 
each other. Paul, standing in the midst of a 
motley throng with a handful of letters " written 
with my own hand,*' urging young men to accept 
them and pay postage on them for Jesus sake. 
How the mind would revert to sacred history and 
fail to discover how Paul, the Missionary, the 
true and tried, the master metaphysician and logi- 
cian of the first, if not all centuries, could be capa- 
ble of such truckling, time-serving work to win 
souls, and " save some." How young ladies will 
stand at the church door, or behind a church 
counter and deal out eatables, or urge young men 
to buy bouquets at the highest price for Jesus 
sake, who would tremble and blush in confusion 
if they were invited to urge the same persons to 
accept Jesus as their Saviour, and " flee from the 
wrath to come." Paul never thought of author- 
izing the believers to devise questionable methods 
for getting the Devil's followers to pay the Lord's 
bills. The Church always lose when they adapt 
themselves to the world at these points. We do 



44 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

not wish to be understood here as teaching, we 
are not to be sociable, friendly, and helpful by our 
recognition and influence ; but the object to be 
reached is " to save," and if they are not saved 
the end is far from being realized. 

" In holiness and sincerity of God" (R. V.) 
Here the Apostle refers to his conscience testi- 
fying to the holiness of his life and conversation 
among the Corinthians, and "in the world," and it 
was to him a source of joy. Nor was it the acci- 
dent of his life, but a state of heart into which he 
had entered. If this state of grace is not reached 
in this life, as some affirm, why did he profess it 
and appeal to it as a cause for his rejoicing? 
Holiness of heart and life is an unfailing source 
of joy. The holy man cannot but be a joyful 
man. God commands us to " be holy in all man- 
ner of conversation ;" but £ holy heart is essen- 
tial to a holy tongue. Paul states we can be 
holy, for he was " in the world." 

"He wills that I should holy be; 

That holiness I long to feel; 
That full divine conformity 

To all my Saviour's righteous will." 

"Example to the ministry." This wonderful 
chapter is a brief epitome of the life, labors and 
sufferings of a true minister of the Gospel. One 
whose experience stands unparalleled in the history 
of the Christian Church standing upon such a moral 



45 



eminence, he has a right to present the standard 
of ministerial excellency. He who is a master 
workman, "one that needeth not to be ashamed," 
asa" co-worker with him" (Jesus), whose life- 
work stands out prominent and worthy of exam- 
ple, may tell his experience to incite others to 
like "fellowship with his sufferings" and an equal 
sharer in the " eternal weight of glory }^et to be 
revealed in us." In all his profession and teach- 
ing he is found intimately associated with Jesus 
Christ, in the work of saving the world. The se- 
cret of his power to suffer, and labor, and die for 
Jesus, was in a conscious, abiding Saviour in him, 
whose spirit communed with him, and in whose 
presence all things were brought into loving serv- 
itude and complete obedience. His standard of 
a blameless ministry was carried out in his own 
life, proving under all conditions and circum- 
stances, he was a worthy minister of Christ. " In 
much patience, in affections, in necessities, in 
distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, 
in labors, in watchings, in fastings," all these 
things in the hands of such a man are made to 
conserve his noble purpose, to make a success of 
his calling. Indeed, he not only endured the 
hardships inevitable to such a ministry, but he 
gloried in anything he did, or suffered if it only 
furthered the gospel of Christ, He never needed 
argument to prove his love. Such a man must 



46 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

love, or his life is an unanswerable enigma. No 
other power could make such a hero. 

" Ye are witnesses, and God also ; hoiv holy, just- 
ly, and uriblamably we behaved ourselves among 
you.' ' This is either the strongest or most blasphe- 
mous testimony of the Apostle. God is called 
upon to witness to his holy, just, and unblamable 
life. Under the illumination of the all-searching 
Spirit he is assured God would testify in his case to 
these facts, and the Church at Thesalonica among 
whom he labored knew he testified to the truth. 
If he did not, and this is a false testimony, it was 
never contradicted or challenged, by friend, or 
foe. Could such a witness have received the en- 
dorsement of the early Church and the college of 
Apostles, if his life was beneath his profession? 
And still many tell us, " Oh wretched man that I 
am," was Paul's best experience, 

"Be ye followers of me." " Those things 
which ye have both learned, and received, and 
heard, and seen in me, do." " Wherefore, I 
beseech you, be ye followers of me." Does 
it not seem arrogant and vain for such an 
one to set himself up as an example? Not if the 
testimonies given heretofore are true. He says, 
"I live no more myself, but Christ is living in 
me." (Life and Epistles of St. Paul, Con. &How., 
p. 140) ; then to follow the example of such a 
man is to follow Christ. All these testimonies 



Paul's professions. 47 

are based upon the idea, that the divine spirit not 
only predominated in the Apostle, moulding and 
fashioning his heart and life, hut that he was in- 
sensible to any other life within, and his life was a 
worthy example for others to follow. 

"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus 
minded. 1 " In the use of the plural, Paul testifies 
to some type of perfection. He has just stated, 
< 'Not. as though I had attained" (won the race), 
but he was perfect as a racer, the besetting sin 
destroyed, and he was running the race set before 
him with patience, " looking unto Jesus" and in 
all things following his example. 

" Unweary may I this pursue, 
Dauntless the high prize aspire; 

Hourly within my soul renew, 
This holy flame, this heavenly fire, 

And day and night be all my care 
To guard the sacred treasure there." 

"Exceeding joy fid in tribulation." This, like 
"unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and 
yet behold we live ; as chastened, and not killed ; 
as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet 
making many rich ; as having nothing, yet pos- 
sessing all things," is characteristic of his experi- 
ence. 
Paul's Stock in Trade. Christ's Stock in Paul. 

Unknown. Well known. 

Dying. Behold we live. 



4b GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Chastened. Not killed. 

Sorrowful. Always rejoicing. 

Poor. Making many rich. 

Having nothing. Possessing all things. 

Tribulation. Exceeding joy. 

Beheaded. Crowned. 

There are three kinds of joy — unnatural, nat- 
ural, and supernatural. It is this last kind that 
the Apostle means when he says, "Rejoice ever- 
more,'' and that abides in tribulation, and starts 
the song in the inner prison at the midnight hour, 
when the back is sore from many stripes. 

' ' Unselfishness.' ' A man dead to self and living 
wholly unto God cannot but feel a burning desire 
for the souls of his fellowmen, and especially his 
" kinsmen in the flesh.' ' Such an estimate did 
Paul put on the souls of his friends, he could wish 
himself anything, but the forfeiture of his spirit- 
ual life for their salvation, so unselfish is love. 
How the problem of " how to reach the masses" 
would have its central point answered, if every 
minister of the gospel was being consumed with 
such love for souls. How many perish around 
us without a single protest. Loved ones all 
around us going to perdition, and we have no 
note of warning, no tear, no wooing words, no 
anxious look, no burning, all-consuming prayer. 
As this servant of God looked upon his deluded 



Paul's professions. 49 

kinsman he felt as Christ did, when weeping over 
Jerusalem. What true minister that does not 
aehe within him, as he sees the host going down 
to death and hell? Who can look at a perishing 
world lying in the wicked one, and not find un- 
sought, his gethsemanc, "and being in an agony," 
praying "more earnestly" for the salvation of 
the race. 

"Serving the Lord with all humility of mind." 
Can it be the man w r hose boast is, he is "not a 
whit behind the chief est of the Apostles" has 
this crowning grace of the Christian religion? All 
his boasting was "in the Lord." In the presence 
of men he knew no superior, if his equal. As 
the warrior just off a victorions battle field, so 
spake he in the presence of men ; as a servant in 
the presence of his Lord he was humble, serving 
him " with reverence and godly fear." He knew 
what it was to bow in the presence of infinite 
purity, and worship, and adore, receive his com- 
mission anew, and go forth stronger and braver 
than ever to "fight the good fight of faith." 

"Conferred not with flesh and blood." Paul 
was a man of clear, well-defined convictions. To 
know the right, was all he required ; favored with 
a divine revelation and receiving his commission 
from the skies, the world, flesh, and devil could 
not deter him from executing it. Jesus " re- 
vealed" and his command transcended all other 



50 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

authority. A divine call to service superceded 
all other calls. There are five elements enter 
into a call to preach : First, a divine call, an in- 
ward persuasion that God has set you apart in 
his providential plans for that work. Second, 
a call from the Church, or a conviction resting 
upon it that your impressions are of God, and 
proper provision made on their part for your 
calling to be fulfilled. Third, gifts, natural en- 
dowments of mind, and body, for this peculiar 
work. Fourth, graces, a holy heart, the influence 
of the Spirit. Fifth, fruits, souls saved, believ- 
ers sanctified, the Church established. Paul had 
all these in a marvelous degree. What an un- 
mistakable call from God to preach, "Depart, 
for I will send thee far hence to the Gentiles ;" 
Our Apostle, and a worthy one to follow. How 
glad the trembling Church was that they received 
him. When he first came to Jerusalem, to join 
himself to the disciples, they "were all afraid of 
him" until Barnabas vouched for his conversion 
and his success already in preaching Jesus. After 
satisfactory evidence, he and Barnabas were set 
apart by them, for the work "whereunto the Holy 
Ghost had called them," and no Apostle went 
forth without proper credentials. What wonder- 
ful gifts ! Being naturally, and divinely endowed, 
Who will be his succesor? What grace ! Who will 
excel in suffering, in labors, in triumph, in glory? 



PAUL'S PROFESSIONS. 51 

Who more utterly abandoned to "this one thing?" 
He had an ambition. Who has ever had a more 
divinely approved one? He says, "I count all 
things but loss, for the excellency of the knowl- 
edge of Christ Jesus, that I might Jcnoiv him, and 
the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship 
of his sufferings, being made conformable unto 
his death." 

" Other knowledge I disdain, 

'Tis all but vanity; 
Christ, the Lamb of God was slain 

He taste th death for me." 

"None of these things move me." This testimony 
is in accord with "more than conquerors." 

' ' In nothing belt ind th e chief est Apostle . ' ' Who 
would think of challenging this statement. 

"Ready tobe offered.'" It is not to be wondered 
that when we come to the close of such a life, we 
find this testimony. As far as we have any rec- 
ord, from the first moment of his espousal to 
Christ, unto this eventful closing testimony, he 
was never known to swerve from the path of right 
and duty, whatever obstacles came in his path- 
way. Do you doubt his being "saved from ivrath, 
saved by his, Christ's life," "saved from sin?" 
The full benefits of the atonement his, that he 
"reigned in righteousness" through the "abundance 
of grace," and that it was ' ' unto eternal life.' ' We 
now take leave of this noble Apostle to the Gen- 



52' GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

tiles. He had a right to his professions, they 
were the testimonies to a life unequaled in the 
history of the Church. So high are they we stag- 
ger at them, and deem it impossible for us to walk 
with such saints, but he gives us encouragement 
in the thought "By the grace of God I am ichat I 
am and that grace was not bestowed ON ME 
in vain." 

" Servant of God, well done! 

Thy glorious warfare's past; 
The battle's fought, the race is won, 

And thou art crowned at last." 




THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 



53 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 



Conviction. — Sinner, 



Believer, 



Yielded to by the 
sinner results in 



Yielded to by the be- 
liever, results in 



Submission. — 

Sinner, 
Believer, 

Faith. — 

Witness of the Spirit 



Knowledge of the right 
and conscious disobe- 
dience. 

Conscious impurity. 

Kenunciation of sins. 
Confession of sins, 
Prayer for pardon, and 
salvation from our sins. 

Self abasement, Hunger- 
ing after the fulness of 
God, Willingness to do, 
suffer or wait, the Will 
of God. Entire conse- 
cration. 

Yielding up to God. 

To be saved from his sins. 
To be cleansed and made 
holy. 

He doeth it. 

An inward persuasion that 
the things for which you 
believe, are being ac- 
complished, and that 
your faith is accepted 
of God. 



54 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Conviction, on the part of the sinner, on the 
preceding page, is defined as "knowledge of the 
right and conscious disobedience." To know 
what is right, and do what is wrong, or contrary 
to our best convictions, is to disobey God, and 
disobedience is sin. No individual can be con- 
sciously disobedient and not realize the condemna- 
tion of God ; many think they can do wrong, and 
be in favor with Him, and even plead they do 
not expect to do right all the time, and laugh at the 
idea of a Saviour from sin. Others claim they 
must be made to feel terrible on account of their 
transgressions to be moved to right doing, but 
God is under no obligation to any sinner further 
than to show him what is right, and what is 
wrong, and leave him to make his choice. It is 
true he uses every possible agency to move men 
to do what is right, and to lead them away from 
what is wrong. To know what you ought to do, 
and not to do it, or to do the contrary, is sin 
enough to ruin the soul forever. " To him that 
knoweth to do good and clocth it not, to him it is 
sin." No where in the Bible does God say we 
must feel so much before we do right, and yet if 
we make the right choice we will have all the feel- 
ing we wish to control. This disobedience pro- 
duces guilt and condemnation, and robs the soul 
of all true happiness. So many ask, cannot I be 
a Christian and sin? I answer emphatically, no ! 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 55 

Another has said, ''conscious confidence and con- 
scious guilt cannot exist in the same heart." It is 
an absolute impossibility to be a sinner and a be- 
liever at the same time. Faith of an evangelical 
scriptural kind, is death to disobedience. John 
Wesley says, " Even babes in Christ do not com- 
mit sin." Who can conceive the idea of divine 
favor resting upon a disobedient soul ? To know 
what is right is all the conviction required to pro- 
duce condemnation for not doing so. By virtue 
of the perverted condition of our moral nature 
God obligates himself to show us the truth, and 
the Holy Spirit "lighteth every man that cometh 
into the world." He "convinceth men of sin, 
righteousness, and judgment," but he is under 
no obligation to reproduce the light after it is 
spurned and wilfully disobeyed ; but God is gra- 
cious and visits us a^ain and a^ain, and shows us 
wherein we are wrong, and some of the conse- 
quences of our evil doing, and brings every possi- 
ble motive to bear why we should choose the 
the right and reject the wrong. As we accept 
or reject, the light of the convicting Spirit will be 
the character of our feelings. To heartily accept 
the truth that condemns us, and acknowledge its 
truthfulness, must produce profound feeling in 
any human breast, and where consent is gained 
to yield ourselves to the truth there are several 
results which follow in their natural course. If 



56 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

men would cease finding excuses for their wrong 
doing, and admit that they are wrong, because 
they choose to be, and decide to abandon the 
wrong and accept the right forever, they would 
discover a decided change in their feelings accom- 
panying such a choice, and the first result would 
be a r enunciation of their sins. No man will 
ever abandon sins he does not first heartily re- 
nounce. To hold in mental reservation any sin, is 
to leave a bridge to retreat over hTcase of an as- 
sault from our enemy. It is to leave a gap for a 
herd of temptation to come in at, and betray him 
into his former sinfulness. The sin we do not 
loathe, and detest as we would a viper in our 
path, we can never be saved from. Every sin 
must be renounced and abandoned forever. 

Next comes Confession of Sins. A great deal 
has been said in all our religious meetings about 
this question of Confessing Sins. What is it to 
confess my sins? What do I, when I confess? 
Along these lines objections have been raised to 
the altar of prayer, the inquiry meeting, or cov- 
enant meeting, or whatever name maybe used, to 
describe that service that is needed to lead the in- 
dividual to this point in his seeking the salvation 
of his soul. Much misunderstanding has existed 
about the classes of sins to be confessed, and the 
manner of confession. There are three classes of 
sins to be confessed, and three classes of persons 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 57 

to whom confession is to be made, — Public to the 
public ; personal to the person ; private and heart 
sins to God. Not that we are not to confess all 
sins to God, but our relation to others requires us 
to adjust our sins with them, before God will ac- 
cept our case for adjustment with his moral king- 
dom. 

Public Sins, and sins against society, demand a 
public confession on the part of the sinner. Not 
a detailed account of each violation of the law ; 
this would be impossible, and unnecessary — but a 
statement in some 'form that his heart is penitent, 
and he is sorry he has clone society the injustice 
his life of open rebellion against God has perpe- 
trated. For instance, the sin of profanity. You 
have no right to take God's name in vain in the 
presence of my child. It is a violation of the law 
of love to your neighbor. I am striving to raise 
him in strict obedience to the third commandment. 
I tell him it is wrong, and you practice to the 
contrary ; and if you have any influence over him, 
as you possibly may, in that degree you break 
down my authority, and as by nature his heart has 
affinity for that which is wrong, the tendency will 
be to lead my boy away from virtue. Sabbath 
desecration, intemperance, or any other public sin 
that helps to break down the moral standard and 
damage the interests of society belong to that 
class. What do you think of the father who, by 



58 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

his life, publicly undermines the work a faithful 
mother is trying to accomplish in her offspring? 
And yet how many such fathers have we? In 
doing all these things you violate a law of God's 
appointment, intended to hold together in har- 
mony the race of man. You do me and my off- 
spring an injustice that may mean their eternal 
ruin, against which I have no protection, only as 
the grace of God can interfere. By your sins 
you have made a chasm between yourself and your 
fellowman, and a public, hearty confession re- 
stores the cause of renewed confidence in your in- 
tentions to secure that grace by which you may be 
saved from your sins. No man will make a pub- 
lic confession of sins he has not fully intended 
abandoning forever. The intention, therefore, of 
your public confession, is not merely to humiliate 
you before men, your sins have done that; but 
to relieve your burdened heart of a pressing obli- 
gation you owe your fellowman for your viola- 
tion of the law of love to your neighbor, and to 
openly state your purpose to seek the Saviour. 
It is also, in some sense, a guard against the com- 
mittal of the same sins. If I publicly confess I am 
sorry, and make an humble confession for the past, 
if I have any sense of honor left, and shame for 
sin, I will not so readily repeat the act that will 
demand another confession. Many have back- 
slidden because thev would not confess their sins 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 59 

and seek a renewal of divine favor ; for while it is 
not the intention of the Saviour that believers 
should fall again into sin, — "If any man sin, 
we have an Advocate with the Father." How 
many souls have been lost because they would 
not openly confess their sins, but sought to cover 
them up. The Bible says, "He that covereth his 
sins shall not prosper, but he that confesseth and 
forsaketh them shall have mercy." 

Individual Si?is. Sins against individuals must 
be confessed to individuals, sins against reputa- 
tion, health and pocket, provided the individual 
can be reached, and are only removed and for- 
given when we cannot reach them, on the promis- 
sory plan, and cannot be removed unless that es- 
sential characteristic is carried out. No amount 
of bowing at the altar, or public confession, will 
bring forgiveness for a personal ill-will against 
some member of society. I knew a man seeking 
salvation in one of our meetings, of more than or- 
dinary intelligence and good social standing. 
After several nights of pleading with the Lord, he 
arose from the altar and said : "I cannot do any- 
thing here," and left the house. I thought at the 
time that some untutored worker at the altar had 
done something that spoiled the effect of what 
had been done for him, or that he had concluded 
to pray away from the confusion and noise that 
interferes with some persons praying. At the 



60 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

close of the service he came back, and, taking me 
by the hand, he said, " It is all settled now." It 
appears he had a friend a few doors from the 
church with whom he had a difficulty that had 
ripened into hatred. As he knelt at the altar try- 
ing to get the Lord into his heart, a voice would 
say " Go get right with that man and I will bless 
you, " and for nights he struggled to get a bless- 
sing, and yet unwilling to yield the point. After 
finding he could not get God to change the terms 
these words came to him, " If thou bringest thy 
gift to the altar and there remember that thy 
brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy 
gift before the altar and go thy way ; first be rec- 
onciled to thy brother and then come and of- 
fer thy gift." He carried out the simple teach- 
ings of our Lord, turned from the altar, and left 
the place. And as he returned, his face all illu- 
minated, exchanging words of rejoicing as he came 
up the aisle, I could see he had received the first 
installment of divine love. No one doubted he 
had adjusted the matter with his neighbor. 
Thank God for that much religion to begin with. 
There is another character of confession that I 
will not dwell upon at length : Private Sins. 
Where individuals have entered mutually into sin, 
how many individuals who are betrayed into pri- 
vate sins confess to each other the humiliating: 
fact and ask each other's forgiveness? God re- 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 61 

quires this as a safeguard against the perpetration 
of the same sins, under pressure of temptation. 
Many would let their life go out before they 
would penitently admit they had done wrong to 
an individual with whom they had mutually sinned, 
and yet this door left open will lead to the 
same disgraceful overthrow under temptation. 

Heart Sins. In a meeting I was holding once 
a man became very much offended at the truth. 
He had. a very noble Christian wife who came to 
me and said, "My husband does not wish you to 
say anything to him, but I wish you would pray 
for him." Not long after I had occasion to pass 
him in the aisle, and I felt I must talk to him, 
and said, " You ought to be a Christian more than 
any man I know." He said, " I don't want you 
to talk to me. " A few evenings later I received 
word from him, "Tell Bro. Wilson I want to speak 
to him." I went, he put out his hand and said, 
"Mr. Wilson I owe you an apology; I insulted 
you the other night. I don't know what is the 
matter. I am not that kind of a man. " I told 
him his trouble — a sinful heart. He sought and 
found the Saviour, and I was kindly entertained 
at his home several times afterward, and we talked 
about that night. I said to him, my dear sir, do 
you know, before I looked into your face your 
godly wife had said, " I wish you would pray for 
my husband," and you were the first man I 



62 GET RIGHT WITH GOD, 

prayed for in this place. His eyes filled with 
tears, and he said "Did you love me like that?" 
Brother, you must confess openly, personally, 
privately, and all from a broken and contrite 
heart to God. As I have a chapter on restitution 
I will not introduce this theme in connection with 
true confession. Of course every God forbidden 
relationship must be abandoned. If you deceive 
yourself in thinking you can pursue any other 
course and secure the end in view, it will be to 
eventually discover in your bosom a secret foe 
that will betray you into the hands of your ene- 
mies. All heart sins are against God. Mankind 
has become such an adept at producing sin in 
a refined form, that he worships the sins of his 
own making, like the image makers of Ephesus. 
We make our sins, and refine, burnish and garnish 
them, and then bow down and worship them, 
and God is sinned against by awful idolatry in the 
heart. Take the sin, for instance, of thinking 
you are better than you really are, men are 
working up a species of self-righteousness. They 
say to themselves, "I do not want a God," I am 
not such a sinner, I have wrought something that 
ought to demand the admiration of the church ; 
my whole outward life is blameless ; they say to 
God, "Hands off, I want the glory for myself." 
When do you see such men, helpless, penitent, 
bowed at an altar of prayer, smiting their breasts? 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 63 

When God shows them their heart sins and they 
humble themselves under the mighty hand of 
God, after a soul has forsaken and confessed 
his sins, then comes. 

Prayer for pardon for, and salvation from his 
sins. When an individual commits any sin he 
thereby incurs the divine displeasure, and puts in 
motion causes that are damaging in God's moral 
kingdom. He can graciously overrule for the 
good of. his people the sins of others, and make 
their evil consequences a means of blessing, 
making "the wrath of man to praise Him." 
However, God does not promise to remove all the 
evil effects of wrong doing, but promises a full 
and complete pardon that frees the soul from the 
conscious guilt and condemnation resulting from 
wrong choices, upon the conditions before stated, 
that we abandon our sins forever, confess them 
according to his clearly declared terms, and trust 
Him for pardoning mercy. He will blot out our 
transgressions, and impart the " divine nature," 
which will save us from sin having dominion over 
us, and while we are under "the law of life in 
Christ Jesus, " we are "free from the law of sin 
and death." Jesus is a Saviour, and he saves 
from sin every trusting soul. What a glorious 
Gospel is ours? We can promise every sinner par- 
don for the past and a present, personal, conscious, 
divinely imparted salvation that saves from sin. 



64 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Any individual that undergoes a "godly sorrow" 
for sin, that needs not to he repented of, will not 
desire to repeat his sins at once, after his justifi- 
cation, and he placed in the humiliating attitude 
of constantly confessing his wilful violations of 
divine law. He wants to he saved, and loves his 
Saviour, Jesus Christ, who can and docs save 
every believing soul. There is another act the 
soul must perform. 

Commit his case to God for adjustment, turn- 
ing it over entirelv into his hands, and allowing 
God to save you in his own way. He is the Sa- 
viour, and he has the right to save in his own way, 
— the how belongs to him, the fact is yours ; then 
comes 

Faith, which we define "he doeth it," always 
in the present tense ; not " 'tis done," or "will be 
done," but he doeth it, it is now being done. As 
we have a chapter on Faith, I will not enlarge here. 

Next comes the blessed Witness of the Spirit, 
an inward persuasion that the things for which 
we believe are being accomplished, and that our 
faith is accepted of God, which is a safeguard 
against this damning presumption into which so 
many have fallen, or this harassing doubt that 
destroys the happiness of so many souls. We 
have called your attention to the experience of a 
sinner seeking salvation. 

We will now direct your attention 
to the experience of the believer subso 



The two experiences. 65 

quent to his conversion. We have defined con- 
viction on the part of the sinner, knowledge of the 
right, and conscious disobedience, involving guilt 
and condemnation, but every believer is saved 
from disobedience, and consequently guilt and 
condemnation, therefore the conviction of the 
believer cannot be "conscious disobedience." 
An appeal to the experience of every truly con- 
verted soul will reveal the fact of conscious im- 
purity existing in the heart subsequent to conver- 
sion, the cause of all his transgressions, and while 
the life divine imparted to the soul holds the en- 
tire man in subjection to the Divine will, so that 
he does not do wrong consentingly, there is an 
inward struggle of the casual nature for the mas- 
tery. We do not teach that the elements of the 
divine nature are not pure, the love, joy, peace, 
etc., that reign in the heart as the fruit of the 
Divine Spirit, but we are not purified. This the 
Psalmist sets forth in the 51st Psalm, "Wash 
me, " not my sins, " cleanse me, " not my sins, 
" / was shapen in iniquity," not iniquities. 
" Purge me" not my transgressions. If you will 
carefully notice the reading you will discover the 
Psalmist makes a distinction between the removal 
of his transgressions (always using the plural, 
and referring to a legal act), and the purification 
of his nature, «« blot out my transgressions," not 
transgression. "Hide thy face from my sins" 



6Q GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

not sin, " blot out all my iniquities, " not iniquity. 
In asking for pardon he prays, " Blot out, " 
"Hide thy face." In praying for purity he 
prays, "Wash me," "Cleanse me," "Purge 
me. " " Blot out my transgressions, " "Cleanse 
me from my sins," " Wash me and I shall be 
whiter than snow. " The transgressions to be 
blotted out, the man to be cleansed. No orthodox 
church teaches that in regeneration the cleansing 
of our moral nature from the inherent impurity 
transmitted to us by the fall, is accomplished. 
The Methodist Church is the only one committed 
to the doctrine, that we can be cleansed at all 
from imbred sin until the article of death. As in 
securing the salvation of the soul, there are two 
acts, the removal of past transgressions, and the 
guilt and condemnation resulting from them, and 
the regenerating, life divine imparted to the soul, 
so in the entire sanctification of the believer he is 
"cleansed," "purified," which always signifies 
something subtracted from him, and all the graces 
of the Spirit are completed in measure (which is 
addition), and he is filled with the divine life, his 
growth from that time forth being normal and 
symmetrical. Purity cannot be a growth any more 
than pardon is an impartation — both are the re- 
moval of something. 

To say we are made pure in conversion is to un- 
christianize thousands of noble Christians who are 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES. 67 

constant witnesses to God's regenerating grace; 
but who testify to conscious impurity dwelling in 
their hearts, and a constant conflict to keep under 
control the uprising carnalities. Many who object 
to the doctrine of a distinct subsequent work of 
grace cleansing the heart from remaining impuri- 
ties, will admit they feel anger, pride, ill-will, etc., 
struggling for the mastery ; but, if they were pu- 
rified in conversion, either they are woefully back- 
slidden, or were never converted. We feel assured 
the consciousness of every true believer attests the 
position here taken, and the systems of theology 
of all orthodox churches teach we are not made 
holy in conversion. Knowing the heart is a clear- 
er exponent of experience than the head, we pro- 
ceed to declare some of the results reached when 
we yield to this conviction of conscious impurity. 
Self abasement. On the part of the sinner 
seeking salvation, it was self-condemnation, be- 
cause the soul had committed sins by his own 
choice. This conviction is for conscious, inherent 
impurity transmitted by the law of procreation, 
and the individual feels in the language of the 
poet, Wesley, 

" O hide this self from me, that I 
No more, but Christ in me, may live; 

My vile affections crucify, 
Nor let one darling lust survive! 

In all things nothing may I see. 
Nothing desire or seek, but Thee. " 



68 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

The sinner renounces his sins, the believer sac- 
rifices himself, hungering and thirsting after the 
fulness of God's love. The confession is not sins 
committed, hut impurity discovered, and a want 
of the fulness of God. The soul is willing to do, 
suffer, and wait the will of God, and consecrates 
every power and faculty of his being to its accom- 
plishment. His cry is, 

" I want the witness, Lord, 

That all I do is right, 
According to thy will and word, 

Well pleasiugiu thy sight." 

" Thy will be done, " is the normal attitude of 
the heart toward God. " I delight to do Thy will, 
O God ! " is his constant experience. He submits 
himself to God to be cleansed and made holy. 
When seeking salvation he submitted his case to 
God to be pardoned and saved from his sins. 
Now he presents himself to God to be cleansed 
from the being of sin, and made holy in heart. In 
every instance faith is the same ; " He docth it. " 
The object may be different, and it is what the 
promise contains, we receive and believe for ; 
also the Witness of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit 
witnesseth to his own work in every heart. Many 
say there is no Scripture for the idea of the wit- 
ness of the Spirit to sanctification. Eom. 8 ; 16, 
settles the question of our adoption, and Hebrews 
10 : 14, 15, settles the question of our sanctifica- 
tion. " For by one offering hath he perfected for- 



THE TWO EXPERIENCES, 



69 



ever, them that are sanctified. Whereof the 
Holy Ghost also is a witness to us. 

We will now call your attention to a key to the 
foregoing "Two Experiences : " 



The sinner. 
The believer. 

Of the will, 

Of the affections, 



Conscious disobedience. An act. 
Conscious impurity. A state 

Incurring guilt and condem- 
nation. 

Producing self abasement, and 
entire consecration. 



To be pardoned 
To be cleansed, 

Jesus, 



A legal act, 
A moral act, 

Regenerated by the Holy Spirit. 
Sanctified " " " " 



By the blood of 



Witness of the Holy Ghost. — Rom. 8 : 16. 

" " " " Heb. 10:14, 15. 




70 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 



INFIRMITIES. 



V(OE much of the matter in this chapter I am 
K indebted to Dr. Daniel Steele's "Love En- 
^r throned." I know of no subject upon which 
so little literature is found, th>it occupies so 
prominent a place in the elucidation of many of 
the difficulties that embarrass the Christian, as 
this one of Infirmities. They are very often 
classed with sins, and because of this classification, 
put the scriptures in a seemingly contradictory 
light. It is generally understood that sin is a 
state of our spiritual nature, and that sins are the 
acts growing out of that state, and are voluntary, 
producing condemnation. Many who are con- 
scious of infirmities, because they classify them 
with sins, for want of proper instruction are call- 
ing themselves sinners when they discover their 
infirmities, and therefore deny the glorious doc- 
trine of salvation from sin in this life. Out of 
this apparently contradictory state of things many 
have been brought, and a harrassing, unfounded 
doubt of the divine favor removed forever by a 
proper consideration of this theme from a scrip- 
tural standpoint. Sins are voluntary , and have 
their origin in the depraved condition of the affec- 



INFIRMITIES. 71 

tions, and are perpetrated by a consenting will. 
No man need sin by necessity. No power in the 
universe can make a man sin against his will. If 
his will is not involved, it cannot be sin that pro- 
duces guilt. Infirmities are involuntary and are 
never in the region of the will or affections. This 
very fact distinguishes them from sins in the 
proper sense of the word. They "are failures to 
keep the perfect law given to Adam in the Garden 
of Eden." He being perfect physically, intellect- 
ually and spiritually, he could keep the perfect 
law because he had a perfect nature ; and every 
action of the triune powers were in harmony with 
each other ; but sin entered and depraved the na- 
ture and powers of man, and now under no con- 
ditions ivhatever, in this life, is Adamic perfection 
possible. While the redemptive scheme purposes 
to fully redeem the entire man, intellectually and 
ptrysically, perfection is not promised in this life ; 
but every man may possess perfect volitional and 
affectional powers. He may ever will to do the 
right, and love God with all his heart, soul, mind 
and strength. Not that he will always do the 
right according to the perfect law given to Adam 
in Eden. His love may be perfect according to 
his capacity, and pure as regards quality, while it 
may ever increase according to the law of growth. 
His will may hold as true as the needle to the 
pole, in regard to his choosing the right, up to his 



72 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

clearest convictions of right ; and yet he may often 
break the perfect law without intent, or consent 
on his part, or by a disordered condition of his 
mental nature. These infirmities "are often ag- 
gravated by our intellectual deficiencies," as igno- 
rance belongs to that class ; and are very humil- 
iating to us, entailing regret, and subjecting us to 
much mortification ; but in souls conscious of 
their true nature they do not interfere with their 
communion with God, and are constantly covered 
by the blood of Jesus. 

There are two classes mentioned in the Bible : 
Infirmities of the flesh, and infirmities of the mind. 
Of the flesh, if you will turn to Prov., 18 : 14, 
4 'The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity, but 
a wounded spirit who can bear?" A man's soul, 
conscious of his own inte<2ritv, and God's love, 
will sustain him under any bodily ailments or 
troubles; but if his soul is depraved and guilty, 
who can bear it? Luke, 13:11-12: "And be- 
hold there was a woman which had a spirit of 
infirmity eighteen years, and was bowed togeth- 
er." This was a case of physical infirmity that 
was relieved by Christ making the woman whole. 
Again, John, 5:5: "And a certain man was 
there which had an infirmity thirty and eight 
years," another case of a similar character cured, 
and a command given to "sin no more lest a worse 
thing come upon thee." It seems in the first case 



INFIRMITIES. 73 

the woman was a child of faith ; in the second it 
was a work of mercy, used to arouse the moral 
nature of the transgressor lest he repeat the sins 
that thus disabled him to use his body as a vehicle 
for his soul. Rom., 6 : 19 : "I speak after the 
manner of men, because of the infirmity of your 
flesh" — because of their sins they had weakened 
their powers and incapacitated themselves to ren- 
der to God such service as a better preserved, less 
abused physical nature could have accomplished. 
How many are saved from a life of sin through 
Jesus Christ, who cannot render the service their 
loving hearts would, on account of physical in- 
firmities ; that are the fruits of the seed-sowing of 
their life of sin. 

There is no promise that Jesus will cure out- 
physical powers resulting from excesses in sin, 
although he has promised to pardon every trans- 
gression. Nor will grace prevent violations of 
physical laws that may result unconsciously, inca- 
pacitating the individual for lawful pleasures and 
services ; but if, through ignorance, we bring 
these things upon ourselves ; God has promised 
grace to suffer and endure their natural conse- 
quences. As a natural course for a better state 
of things, he exhorts them to "yield their mem- 
bers as servants to righteousness unto holiness," 
and by so doing, in a measure, regain their lost 
powers of physical manhood. In Gal., 4:13, 



74 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

Paul, speaking of his own infirmities, says : "Ye 
know how, through infirmity of the flesh, I 
preached the gospel unto you at the first." In II. 
Cor., 11 : 30, and 12 : 5, 9, 10, he again speaks of 
his infirmity as a "thorn in the flesh " and as 
something he gloried in. Who would think of 
this grand Apostle glorying in sin? Whatever 
this "thorn in the flesh" was, it made him con- 
temptible in his appearance ; and needed an apol- 
ogy for its existence ; as he says in Gal., 4 : 14, 
"My temptation, which was in my flesh, ye des- 
pised not nor rejected ;" and in verse 15 he says : 
"If possible ye would have plucked out your own 
eyes and given them to me" Couple this with 
the fact that others wrote his Epistles while he 
dictated them, and that he rejoiced exceedingly 
when he wrote, saying : "Ye see how large a letter 
I have written with mine own hand," when it was 
the short Epistle to the Galatians, and Ave think 
his thorn in the flesh was a diseased condition of 
the eyes. Whatever it was, it was an infirmity. 
Nor did God remove it, though he "thrice prayed" 
for its removal ; but gave him grace sufficient to 
bear it in such a measure, he "gloried in infirmi- 
ties." Paul told Timothy to use a little wine 
"for thine often infirmities," not for his sins. 

Of the Mind, II. Cor., 4 : 8, "We are troubled 
on every side, yet not distressed ; perplexed, but 
not in despair." Here are mental infirmities, 



INFIRMITIES. 75 

* 'perplexed," wanting, willing, but not knowing 
what is for the best. Ignorant, Heb. 4 : 5, "For 
we have not an high priest which cannot be 
touched with the feeling of our infirmities." 
Chap. 5 : 2, "Who can have compassion on the 
ignorant and on them that are out of the way, for 
that he himself also is compassed with infirmity." 
Here ignorance is called an infirmity ; but our 
High Priest has no such infirmity, and is touched 
with the feelings of our infirmities. "For the 
law maketh men high priests which have infirmity, 
but the word of the oath which was since the law 
maketh the Son who is consecrated forevermore." 
—Heb., 7:28. In Rom., 8:26, it states the 
Spirit helpeth them, and aids us in prayer, with- 
out which aid we know not how to pray as we 
ought. The Spirit certainly does not help our 
sins, but "our infirmities." We are commanded 
to have charity for them. Rom., 15:1, "We 
then, that are strong, ought to bear the infirmities 
of the weak, and not to please ourselves." Not 
we ought to bear the sins of the sinner — a sacri- 
fice has to be offered for them. Heb., 9 : 7, "But 
into the second went the high priest alone once 
every year, not without blood, which he offered 
for himself and for the errors of the people." In 
Psalms, 19 : 12, "Who can understand his errors? 
cleanse thou me from secret faults." Not who 
can understand his sins, for a man cannot commit 



76 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

sin without a conscious evil choice, nor would the 
Psalmist pray to have wilful sins cleansed, but 
pardoned — "secret faults," as in Lev., 5 : 15, "If 
a soul commit a trespass, sin through ignorance 
in the holy things of the Lord," etc., here he sins 
ignorantly, for which he was to bring a ''trespass 
offering." This is in keeping with the prayer the 
Saviour taught his disciples to pray, "Forgive us 
our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass 
against us." No sinner in his sins can pray the 
Lord's prayer. The first words stop him, "Our 
Father ;" and Avho ever heard a sinner pray "Thy 
kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in 
heaven." However we may look forward to deliv- 
erance from them after this life, and a partial de- 
liverance in this. Having done a thing ignorantly, 
involving the well-beino: of another, the law re- 
quired that amends be made by the individual, as 
far as in his power, for the evil resulting from his 
trespass. If he wilfully sinned, he had to confess 
his sin with his hands on the head of the scape- 
goat, in the presence of the congregation ; and 
then make his sin offering, another matter alto- 
gether. 

Two extremes have grown out of an improper 
understanding of this subject. The first, that we 
cannot be saved from sin in this life ; and many 
of the passages herein quoted are regarded as 
proof. The other, that because we are saved 



INFIRMITIES. 77 

i 

from sin in this life, we cannot conscientiously 
pray "the Lord's Prayer ;" because it says, "For- 
give us our trespasses." In the one instance, the 
blessed doctrine of a full and free salvation from 
all sin, by entire consecration to God forever, and 
faith in the all cleansing blood of the Lamb, is 
ignored ; and many grope on in partial deliverance 
from sin ; and in the other instance a type of per- 
fection is taught that is unscriptural, unreason- 
able ; and leads to the most subtle type of Phari- 
seeism. This is a large class when enumerated : 
"Lack of knowledge," "defective memory," 
" hours of apathy and spiritual dullness, by rea- 
son of a depraved condition of the nerves," "wan- 
dering thoughts in prayer," "insufficiency in our 
work," " unpleasant dreams," " dullness in ap- 
proaching God in prayer." We must watch we 
do not excuse ourselves from duty on account of 
them, and thereby fall into sin. When we receive 
light and understanding in regard to them, and 
perpetrate knowingly what heretofore we did un- 
knowingly, we fall into guilt and condemnation. 
While these infirmities are without remedy in this 
life, and are constantly covered by the blood of 
Jesus ; they may be remedied to a degree by an 
increase of knowledge, and an illuminated under- 
standing. 

I shall close this chapter by a quotation from 
"Mile Stone papers," p. 284. "There are old 



78 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

residents of this country who are by no means 
favorites with me, and I cut their acquaintance 
as much as possible, such as ignorance, forgetf ill- 
ness, misjudgment, error, inadvertence, and a 
large family by the name of infirmity. In fact I 
have repeatedly cast my vote for their exclusion ; 
but they insist they have a right to remain, since 
no statute lies against them. They say they are 
grossly wronged when confounded with an odious 
foreigner called sin, who slightly resembles thein 
in external appearance, but is wholly different 
in moral character. I must confess that a close 
observation, extended through several years, dem- 
onstrates the justice of this plea ; hence I live in 
peace with these old citizens but do not delight 
in their company." May the blessed Holy Spirit 
teach us how to discriminate between a man's in- 
firmities, for which we are to have unbounded 
charity, and a man's sins which must be reproved, 
"lest a greater evil come upon him." How 
many are suffering from transmitted infirmities 
that demand our sympathy? Let us have that 
love that " hopeth all things, beareth all things, 
that suffereth long, and is kind." 

"Now unto him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the 
presence of his glory with exceeding joy. To 
the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and 
majesty, dominion and power, both now and 
ever. Amen." 



INFIRMITIES. 79 

11 Help us to help each other, Lord, 

Each other's cross to bear; 
Let each his friendly aid afford, 

A.nd feel his brother's care." 

Infirmities, which exist in the realm of the intel- 
lect and sensibilities, never in the will or affec- 
tions — 

" Are failures to keep the law of perfect obedi- 
ence given to Adam in the garden of Eden." 

"Are an involuntary outflow from an imperfect 
moral organi s m . " 

" Have their ground in our physical nature and 
are aggravated by intellectual deficiencies." 

"They entail regret and humiliation, but in 
well instructed souls do not interrupt communion 
with God." 

"Hidden from ourselves they are covered by 
the blood of Christ." 

"They are without remedy as long as we are 
in the body." 

"Dullness in approaching God in prayer, grow- 
ing out of a wearied physical condition." 

We must watch we do not excuse ourselves 
from duty on account of them, and thus fall into 
sin. 

We must learn to discriminate between a man's 
infirmities and his sins : the one to be sympathized 
with, the other reproved. 

1. Prov. 18:14. Bodily ills — but who can bear 
a wounded spirit. 



2. Mental. Ignorance of mind. 
28. " Limited in knowledge. 



80 GET BIGHT 1 WITH GOD. 

2. Luke 13 : 11, 12. Physical 18, Years. 

3. John 5: 5. " 38, " 

4. Bom. 6:19. Physical. Weakened by former 

sins. 

5. Gal. 4:13. Physical. Paul's "thorn in the 

flesh." 

6. Heb. 5 

7. Heb. 7 

8. Matt. 8:17. Christ bears them. 

9. Rom. 8: 26. " The Spirit helpeth them 

10. Rom. 15:1. " We need charity for 

them. 

11. II. Cor. 11:30. To be gloried in through 

grace. 

12. II. Cor. 12:5, 9 and 10. Both physical and 

mental. 

13. II. Cor. 4:8. Mental. " Troubled," « Per- 

plexed," "Cast down." 

14. Heb. 4 : 15. Christ understands them. 

15. Heb. 5:2. And has compassion on them. 

16. Heb. 9:7. The sacrifice for them. 

17. Psalms 19:12. Need constant cleansing. 

18. Leviticus 5 : 15. The offerings under the law. 

19. Leviticus 4:2, 27 " " " " 

20. Jude, 24, 25. Christ can ultimately present 

us faultless. 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 



81 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 



1. 


Heb. 12 : 14. The 


commands. 


2. 


Matt. 5:48. " 


a 


3. 


Matt. 22:27. " 


a 


4. 


I. Peter 1:15, 16, 


ti 


5. 


I. Chron. 16, 29. 


t£ 


6. 


II. Cor. 7:1. How obtained. 


7. 


Titus 11: 14. 


a 


8. 


Rom. 6:19. 


a 


9. 


Rom. 12:1. 


a 


10. 


Heb. 12:10. 


a 


11. 


Heb. 10:19. 


a 


12. 


II. Thes. 2:13. " 


i i 


13. 


Luke 1:75. Whe 


11 " 


14. 


Rom. 15:29. 


a 


15. 


Jer. 2:3. 


a 


16. 


I. Thes. 2 : 10. Witnessed to. 


17. 


Rom, 6:22. 


a a 


18. 


I. Thes. 3:13. 


a a 


19. 


Rom. 6:2. 


a a 


20. 


Phil. 3:15. 


ts a 


21. 


Gal. 2 : 20. 


a a 


22. 


Isaiah 65 : 5. Testimonies — Unscriptural. 


23. 


Ephesians 4 : 30. 


Spirit of holiness not to be 
grieved. 



82 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

24. I. Kings 8 : 46. Scripture apparently con- 

tradictory. 

25. Psalms 119:96. « 

26. I.John 1:8. 

27. I. Tim. 1:15. 

28. I. Cor. 15:31. " 

29. Rom. 8: 36. 

30. Gal.5:17.R.V. " 

31. I. Cor. 9:27. 

32. Phil. 3:12. 

33. Heb. 10 : 14, 15. The Spirit witnesseth to it. 

34. I. Thes. 2:10. 

THERE is no theme of more vital importance 
to the Church and the individual believer than 
the theme we now present to the reader. 
Many books have been written on the subject, 
millions have professed it, many have denied the 
doctrine as taught by the standards of the Metho- 
dist Episcopal Church. Others, who have pro- 
fessed the experience, have denied the doctrine by 
their practice ; but this is true of all experiences. 
It is universally admitted by all orthodox churches, 
that depravity exists in the heart subsequent to 
conversion, and that it must be removed and the 
heart made holy before entering heaven, for ' 'with- 
out holiness no man shall see the Lord." Many 
who have enjoyed the experience but who pos- 
sessed not the gift of teaching, under a false im- 
pression, have undertaken to present this doctrine 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 83 

and experience, and by unguarded terminology and 
defective methods have aided to brinjy the doc- 
trine into disrepute among a few. Still it lives 
and will live, and thousands will plunge into the 
fountain of cleansing, and hearts, homes, and 
lives will be transformed by the power of the 
truth, and "holiness unto the Lord" shall become 
the universally believed doctrine of the church 
militant, as the privilege of every yearning heart 
in this life. 

It is an attribute of Jehovah, and consequently 
must have the capacity for its existence in man . That 
which God possesses in infiniteness, man possesses 
in muteness. God made man holy. He has lost 
the holiness by sin but not the capacity for it, 
and must be out of harmony with God and him- 
self while he continues unholy. God's holiness 
is self-existent ; man's is derived and imparted 
conditionally as a gift. Man's holiness is the 
same in kind as the Infinite holiness, but not in 
degree. Man can never reach his normal state 
until he is made holy. Many who admit so plain- 
ly a declared fact, disagree about the method. 
"To the law and the testimony." What saith 
my God? What is my experience? To receive 
the blessing and live in the power of it is the end 
of all controversy. Controversy never converts 
or sanctifies. Holiness is to sin what the bright- 
ness of the noonday sun is to midnight darkness. 



84 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

They cannot co-exist. It is the moral rectifica- 
tion of the nature that originates sin, and being 
holy, must necessarily be the end of sin. It is 
the source of all spiritual power in every Christian 
whether it is partial or perfect. A holy man is a 
power everywhere and all the time, up to the 
measure of his gifts and capacity. 

While there is much disagreement about the 
method of obtaining it, one fact remains : The 
most reliable, largest number of those who pro- 
fess it, and whose spirit and lives most conclu- 
sively prove the truthfulness of their profession, 
testify to have received the blessing after certain 
initiatory steps, instantly by faith in the blood of 
Jesus Christ subsequent to a clear, glorious con- 
version. Others who profess to have the expe- 
rience under pressure of tests, are usually indefin- 
ite in their testimony, rather confusing and mis- 
leading ; and by their treatment of those who 
teach contrary to them and their spirit toward 
them, are very slow to convince even their best 
friends, that they love their neighbor as them- 
selves. Many profess holiness under certain con- 
ditions who would deny a subsequent distinct 
work of grace after conversion : "Oh, yes, I have 
it, have had it for years ; but did not receive it in 
your way, and don't believe in testifying to it." 
Nor do they seem desirous to hear the testimony 
of others. The experience is an unending song 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 85 

in the innermost holy of holies in the tabernacle 
of God. It is rest, because the moral powers 
made to act forever are normal. It is power be- 
cause the source of all power quickens the spir- 
itual nature up to the measure of its demands. It 
is joyful service, because self has been brought 
into harmony with the true idea and has been 
taught the lesson that to serve God lovingly, 
to obey him cheerfully, is true life, and life brings 
its own compensation. We will turn to our Bibles 
and find the commands of God to every believer, 
in regard to this experience. 

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, with- 
out which no man can see the Lord." Here we 
are expressly commanded to follow holiness, to 
be holy. If holiness cannot be obtained in this 
life how can we follow it? What a reflection on 
the work and power of the Holy Ghost to teach ; 
he commands us to be what is impossible here. 

"Be ye therefore perfect even as your Father 
which is in heaven is perfect." Every intelligent 
reader of the Scriptures knows very well the 
Saviour does not mean we are to be perfect gods. 
He is careful to regard the relationship that makes 
the perfection spoken of possible. "Be ye there- 
fore perfect (children), even as }^our Father," etc. 
Begotten of the Spirit in the image of God, our 
heavenly Father. We may have moral perfection 
as children, without having reached a type of 



86 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

perfection, that is often conceived when this com- 
mand is read, and the cry of impossible raised in 
the despairing heart. This perfection is in moral 
likeness and not in growth, that has no point of 
limitation here or hereafter. It is to have all the 
graces of the spirit complete in us, but not de- 
veloped into their utmost capacity. I know of 
no figure that properly represents the perfection 
of growth in our spiritual nature ; it knows no 
zenith, it never reaches its highest altitude. 
While all nature is full of symbols of perfection 
in the sense which Christ means in this command, 
wholeness, purity, every part that makes up the 
whole perfect in itself, perfect love, perfect peace, 
perfect long suffering, etc., a perfect child, but 
still a child ; perfect in quality but not in quan- 
tity. Because it is derived it need not lack in 
perfection of quality, and because it is a gift it 
may be none the less imparted. As inherent de- 
pravity is imparted and actually manifested in 
human consciousness and actions, so, blessed be 
God, holiness or Christian perfection may be as 
gloriously manifested in our consciousness, and 
its existence demonstrated by our supernatural 
lives. 

Again, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God 
with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy 
mind, and with all thy strength" This command 
requires the entire man in a service of love to 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 87 

God, and secures, when obeyed, a service of 
love to his neighbor. "Thou shalt." How im- 
perative ! No room here for mere privilege. It is 
as obligatory as any one of the ten, written by the 
finger of God on the tables of stone, and this is 
to be written on the fleshly tables of the heart. 
"Thou shalt love." How can I love with all 
my heart what God loves, and hate what God 
hates, unless my heart is purified from every- 
thing inimicable to love? Would he command 
and make no provision for its fulfilment? Love 
is the fulfilling of the law. How many claim 
to love God who withhold from him their 
strength, who spent time and labor for that 
which is not for God, satisfying every unholy 
desire and propensity, living from self for self, 
forgetful of others and unfaithful to Christ. 
How happy we are in the service of those we 
truly love, and Avhat a delightsome service the 
work of Christ would be if we loved him with our 
whole heart ! 

" Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am 
holy."" Here God gives the reason for the com- 
mand. His holiness requires ours. Holiness has 
a perfect affinity for that which is holy and an 
unchanging antipathy for that which is unholy. 
Sin and holiness are antipodes, and just in the 
degree we are sinful we are out of harmony with 
God. God cannot change ; man may be changed 



83 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

from sin to holiness ; therefore the command, I 
am holy. I cannot change, but if you are to 
dwell with me in eternal communion and fellow- 
ship you who can be changed must be holy. 
a Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.''' 
Worship is to the life what incense is to the 
sacrifice. It is more than service, it is adoration. 
It is the purified affection going out in reverent 
adoration for the holiness, purity and loveliness 
of God. It is what we do when all outside ser- 
vice is ended, and we go into the inner sanctuary 
and reverently bow alone before God and pour 
out of a heart of thanksgiving and praise those 
becoming expressions of our appreciation of our 
divine Lord. It is the act that gives grace to our 
service, that brings the master of assemblies near 
to bless the waitings. Worshiping God in the 
beauty of holiness, is worshiping him in the fulness 
of the Spirit. 

How Obtained, not attained. " Let us cleanse 
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit*" 
There is a sense in which we are to make our- 
selves holy by taking ourselves away from 
every seductive influence of the body and 
mind, separating ourselves from unholy associa- 
tions, conversations, surroundings, and any habit 
of mind or body over which we have any power 
that would in the least hinder our coming within 
the conditions upon which God has promised to 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 89 

make us holy. Many a person seeking a pure 
heart stops at an impure habit of the flesh. To- 
bacco, the ally of whiskey, with all its outward 
filthiness, defiling the body and everything around 
us, has held many a man from entering into con- 
scious purity. God don't want your tobacco ; 
you throw it as far away as possible, and wash 
yourself thoroughly from the nicotine ; and you 
will make a step toward holiness that six months 
on your knees praying for purity won't give you. 
Equally so, habits of the flesh, producing nervous 
prostration, overwork for selfish ends, and many 
other things, thoughts of an impure character — 
all must be abandoned ; so far as our consent and 
practice is concerned, before we can meet the con- 
ditions upon which God makes us holy. "Deny- 
ing ungodliness, we should live soberly, righteously 
and Godly in this present world." There must 
be a standing protest against ungodliness of every 
sort ; not a bitter, vindictive spirit of fault-finding 
toward others ; but on your own part a standing 
protest against any ungodliness, and a sober, right- 
eous and godly life to be maintained. 

" Yield your members servants to righteousness 
unto holiness. 1 " Here Paul demands a proper use 
of the members before holiness can be secured ; 
all improper use of the body or member thereof 
must cease, and all be brought into subjection to 
holy purposes for holy ends. 



90 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

"I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies 
of God, that ye present your bodies a living sac- 
rifice, holy, acceptable unto God." This is true 
consecration. After severing ourselves from all 
filthiness of flesh and spirit, and coming to the 
altar with our sacrifice, how reasonable that it 
should be holy, complete, like the burnt offering 
of the Jewish sacrifice, the entire man presented 
to God to be used for holy purposes, everything 
given up to God forever, the heart singing 

"Here I give ray all to Thee, 
Friends and time, and earthly store, 

Soul and body thine to be, 
Wholly thine forevermore." 

"For they verily for a few days chastened us 
after their own pleasure, but he for our profit, 
that toe might be partakers of his holiness" I 
should not here set forth that chastening is any 
essential part of the obtaining the blessing of ho- 
liness ; but who that is familiar with experience, 
does not know that many a soul that refuses to 
walk in the light of God's word, has learned by 
experience that "to obey is better than sacrifice. " 
Many a soul, blessedly saved now, was led to the 
fountain of cleansing by the proper use of the 
rod ; how many suffering under the penalty of 
broken vows, forsaken resolutions, and divine 
interpositions have cried out, 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 9 L 

Nay. but I yield, J yield, 

I can hold out no more; 
I sink by dying love compelled, 

And own Thee conqueror. 

"Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter 
into the holiest by the blood of Jesus ," a conscious 
conviction of our need, a direct command, an in- 
centive in the enjoyments possessed, the putting 
away the filthiness of the flesh, the proper use of 
our members, and the entire consecration of all, 
forever to God, for holy purposes : all combined 
is not scriptural holiness ; these are but prepara- 
tory steps, leading us to the place and act divine 
where we are made holy. We get into a state of 
holiness, when we have met all the human condi- 
tions, by the application of the all-cleansing blood 
of Jesus to our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, through 
faith in its efficacy to make us whiter than snow, 
and the tilling our natures with the divine Spirit. 
It is the precious blood that washes away the im- 
purity, and the Divine Spirit that rectifies the de- 
praved powers of man's spiritual nature "through 
sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the 
truth." 

When may we obtain this holiness? Certainly 
in this Life. With so many passages of Scripture 
to sustain this position, we are surprised to find a 
sister denomination setting forth the following : 
"No man is able either of himself, or by any grace 



92 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

received in this life, perfectly to keep the com- 
mandments of God, but doth daily break them in 
word, thought and deed." What a limitation of 
saving grace ! Have we no Saviour that can save 
us from breaking the commandments every day? 
According to this theology, then, Jesus docs not 
save his people from their sins, though that was 
why he was so named according to the angel. But 
bad theology must surrender to the word of God. 
Again the same system says : "This sanctilication 
is throughout in the whole man, }^et imperfect in 
this life. There abides still some remnants of 
corruption in every part, whence a continual and 
irreconcilable war (of course within), the flesh 
lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against 
the flesh." This all grows out of the false doc- 
trine of imputation and makes no allowance for 
an imparted righteousness, and lays the founda- 
tion for an "Oh wretched man that I am" type 
of religion. What a comfort to the believer that 
he can test all systems by the word of God ! Hear 
Zachariah : "That he would grant unto us that we 
beinor delivered out of the hand of our enemies 
might serve him without fear in holiness and right- 
eousness before him all the days of our life." 
How does that compare with the statement just 
quoted : Again, "and I am sure that when I come 
unto you, I shall come in the fulness of the bless- 
ing of Christ." If this fulness cannot be en- 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 93 

joyed "by any grace received in this life," why 
did Paul promise the church at Rome he would 
have the blessing when he came among them , 
yea, may we not justly suppose he had the bless- 
ing at the time, and expected to retain it through 
all time. "Israel iocis holiness unto the Lord." 
Here God himself testifies to the former state of 
his own people as " Holiness unto the Lord," a 
past, but lost experience. 

Witnessed to. Such a blessed experience being 
pointed out in the Bible, and commandments so 
plain, given to the believer to possess it, and the 
course required, it would not be surprising to 
find some witnesses to its possession. Paul says : 
"Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily, 
justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves 
among you that believe." As I have commented 
upon this in Paul's professions, in Chap. 3, 1 need 
not dwell on this testimony here. "But now be- 
ing made free from sin, and become the servants 
of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the 
end everlasting life." Ao'ain, "How shall we that 
are dead to sin live any longer therein." Again, 
"Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus 
minded." Enoch had this testimony, that he 
pleased God. What a glorious testimony ! If 
he should arise in some Christian assemblies of to- 
dny, they would say he was a fanatic. Abraham 
walked before the Lord, and was perfect, David 



94 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

had a perfect heart toward God, Job was "per- 
fectly perfect," and walked with God. Asa had 
a perfect heart, like his father David. And, glory 
to God, we are fellow-heirs with them to the same 
exceeding great and precious promises. Caleb 
and Joshua lived to possess the promised land, 
and so may we. That wonderful testimony of 
Paul, "I am crucified." So many are waiting for 
the cravings of their lomnno' hearts to be satisfied 
ill death, crying out, 

"Could we but climb where Moses stood, 

And view the landscape o'er, 
Not Jordan's streams nor death's cold flood 

Could fright us from the shore," 

thinking Canaan is on the other side of our exit 
from this world. The children of the unbeliev- 
ing Israelites entered it, and afterward forfeited 
it ; but whoever entered heaven and was led out 
of it, into captivity? They commenced over- 
throwing cities and driving out the inhabitants ; 
but who ever entered heaven and did so? Holiness 
is needed in the pulpit, and the pew of to-day, to 
grapple with new theology, with legalized crime, 
with social impurities, anarchism, socialism, com- 
munism, and every other form of infidelity and 
sin, that endangers the welfare of the nation. We 
need conviction for argument, unction for intel- 
lectualism, inspiration for reason, illumination for 
philosophy, holiness for moral imbecility, Chris- 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 95 

tianity for rationalism, heaven for the saint, hell 
for the sinner, a Saviour for every man ; and for 
every man a perfect Saviour. 

Unscriptural Testimonies. Much harm has 
been done, and much opposition aroused against 
the testimony to this experience by the use of 
terms misleading in their tendency : "I am sanc- 
tified," "I am holy," "I have not sinned in 
twenty years," "I am clean." These, and many 
other testimonies of this character, may all be 
true, and yet they seem to rob Jesus of the glory 
of our salvation, and have no precedent in the 
Word of God. 

We are not to grieve the Spirit of holiness by 
refusing to " walk in the Y\<Ait as he is in the 
light," or by withholding our testimony to the 
measure of grace received. Christ must be hon- 
ored in his saints. 

/Scripture apparently contradictory, "for there 
is no man that sinneth not." This verse is one 
of the strongholds for those who teach there is no 
salvation from sin in this life ; this rendering is 
not in the original, and should be "if they shall 
sin against thee," "I have seen an end of all perfec- 
tion" (human), but certainly not of Christian per- 
fection. What a deplorable condition that would 
be if the psalmist had seen an end of all Christian 
pefection ! How discouraging alike to those who 
teach we continually grow toward perfection as 



96 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

well as those who teach Christian perfection in 
this life. But the psalmist himself possessed and 
professed, and often made it the ground of his 
plea the holiness that this verse is pitted against 
by its adversaries. 

"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves." 
That John is writing to believers no one can 
doubt. To say we have no sin to be cleansed as 
well assznsto be pardoned is to deceive ourselves. 
"If we say we have not sinned we make him a 
liar." If we say we have no sin (to be cleansed) 
we deceive ourselves. He who claims he has no 
transgressions to be pardoned gives the lie to Je- 
hovah ; and he who says he has no sin to be 
cleansed from deceives himself, and the truth is 
not in him. 

"Jesus Christ came into the world to save sin- 
ners, of whom I am chief." No one will claim 
the Apostle who has been testifying to being 
"crucified with Christ," dead to sin, etc., means 
here that he continues actively the chief of sin- 
ners. He certainly means he still stands at the 
head of the list of sinners, saved by grace, as the 
one who was pre-eminent in sin, and he magnifies 
the grace that saved such a sinner in the next 
verse. 

"I die daily." Paul does not mean he died 
unto sin daily. Any person acquainted with this 
experience knows very well no heart desires to 



SCRIPTURAL HOLINESS. 97 

daily undergo the experience of death to sin. In 
many places Paul calls attention to the fact he 
was subject unto death for the Gospel's sake. 
"In death's oft." He passed through that which 
was as hard and trying to his nature as to liter- 
ally die, and he held himself in readiness to die 
at any moment for Jesus sake. 

"As it is written for thy sake we are hilled all 
the day long." This verse covers the same scope, 
and is a proof of the preceding view. 

"I bring my body under lest having preached 
to others I myself should be a castaway." Here 
reference is made to the wrestlers who subjected 
their bodies to forms of treatment to make them 
better instruments in the game. He does not say 
I keep the "body of sin" under that he elsewhere 
says is destroyed ; but he so controls, by divine 
grace his appetites, etc., that they may not be- 
come a source of temptation by which he would 
become a castaway. 

"N~ot as though I had already attained, neither 
were already perfect" He had not attained 
"unto the resurrection of the dead ;" but he says, 
" Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus 
minded." He was perfect with others as a racer, 
but not crowned or glorified. 

The Spirit witnesseth to it. "For by one offer- 
ing he hath perfected forever them that sire sanc- 
tified ; whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness 



98 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

unto us." "Ye are our witnesses and God also. 
How holily, justly and unblamably Ave behaved 
ourselves among you that believe." 

We have hurried through, for want of space 
this glorious theme of which the Bible is so full. 
We have heard much pro and con in regard to it. 
It has friends, it has foes. It is an experience to 
be enjoyed, more than a doctrine to be argued. 
Never have I heard a minister opposing it, but I 
patiently waited to hear him pray and knew his 
heart would condemn his preaching. Those who 
say we obtain it by growth in grace at every fu- 
neral admit it must have been accomplished in- 
stantly before death, forthe two months' old con- 
vert, whose obsequies we are attending. Obey 
the divine command, "be ye holy." Spread the 
glorious truth to earth's remotest bounds. Holi- 
ness of a scriptural type is a cure for the two-fold 
type of fanaticism. Bitter opposition to the doc- 
trine and experience resulting in self-suicide, in 
mare senses than one, or spirit leadings, revela- 
tions, lawlessness and opposition, with a sour, 
censorious spirit toward those who do not obey 
their rule, and cast their ideas in their mould, or 
sing our sentiments in a mimicing intonation. 
Holiness redeems the entire moral nature and 
sends a stream of holy love and life throughout 
the entire being, quickening every natural faculty 
and power into usefulness, for God's glory and the 
salvation of the race. 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 99 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 



1. JVehemiah, 1:6. Nehemiah prays, and con- 

fesses the sins of the people. 

2. " 2: 11 to 17. Nehemiah views the 

situation. 

3. " 2 : 18. Nehemiah tells his brethren 

of God's goodness, 

4. " 2:19. Opposition begins. 
5- " 2 : 20. Faith expressed. 

6. " 3 : 1 to 5. All go to work except a 

few nobles. 

7. " 4 : 1 to 3. Work, and success in- 

crease opposition. 

8. " 4 : 4 to 6 , O p p o s i t i o n drives to 

prayer. 

9. " 4:15. God brings the counsel of 

the wicked to naught. . 

10. " 5th Chap. Wrongs made right. — 

Purification. 

11. " 6:3. Uncompromising service. 
12+ " 6:11. Undaunted courage. 

13. " 6:15. Work done. 

14. " 6:16. Enemies discouraged. 

15. " 7:5. Systematic organization. 

16. " 7 : 70 to 62. Liberal giving. 



100 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

1 7. JSTehemiah, 8:1. C a 1 1 i n g for the neglected 

Word of God. 
IS. " 8:6. Devout worship. 

19. " 8:10. Divine favor. 

20. " 8 : 15 to 17. Grand Camp Meeting 

and Jubilee. 



WHE book of Nehemiah is to the Old Testa- 
ment, what the Acts of the Apostles is to the 
\ New, t an account of a genuine revival. The 
Jews by disobedience, idolatry, and lust had in- 
curred the divine displeasure, and God permitted 
heathen nations to devour and reduce them. 
Under the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Baby- 
lon, they were led away captive. Their history 
religiously, had been much in keeping with the 
moral character of their kings, — " like ruler, like 
subject, like priest, like people," was verified in 
their case . Under the reign of Cyrus , God ' ' stirred 
up his heart" to issue a proclamation throughout 
his kingdom, that he was charged to build a 
house for God in Jerusalem, and he called for 
volunteers among the Jews to go up and build. 
The people began at once to make preparation, 
and forty-nine thousand six hundred and ninety- 
seven responded according to their families. The 
first thing they did, they "set up the altar" and 
offered burnt offerings morning and evening and 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 101 

attended to the regular services of the sanctuary. 
They gave money and work, and laid the founda- 
tion of the temple with shouting. As. usual, op- 
position commenced in a most subtle manner, be- 
cause they would have the work all of God, and 
all for God. The opposition increased, and they 
were compelled to cease all the work "by force 
and by power." They ultimately reached the 
finishing of the temple, and had a glorious time 
worshiping and serving God, purifying themselves, 
reading the law, separating themselves, and put- 
ting away strange wives and their children, and 
getting into line with God's will and word. Under 
the figure of the circumstances in connection with 
the building the walls under Nehemiah, we have 
discovered the circumstances and conditions of 
a genuine revival. 

Nehemiah prays and confesses the sins of the 
people. Some one always has it on his heart to 
present to God petitions in behalf of the wasted 
Zion. When Nehemiah heard his brethren were 
in "great affliction and reproach," and that the 
walls of Jerusalem were broken down, and the 
gates burned with fire, he sat down and wept, 
mourned and fasted, and prayed before God. 
What a burden many a soul carries ' ' because the 
people have dealt very corruptly, and have not 
kept the commandments of God." Who, that 
loves God as he ought, can sit indifferently gaz- 



102 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

ing on the desolations of Zion? Sabbath dese- 
cration, worldly conformity, love of self, empty 
seats, neglected prayer and social meetings, har- 
assing debts, stinginess, questionable methods to 
raise mea*ns for God's cause, unprincipled politi- 
cal preferments, dancing, card playing and theatre- 
going church members, pride and pomp, and all 
the questionable things that break down the walls 
of our Zion, and leave us open to invasion from 
many foes. The walls razed to the ground and 
the enem}^ having destroyed our lovely heritage, 
who would not weep? The marvel is, there are 
not more weeping prophets. 

View the situation. Nehemiah, blessed of God 
and favored of the king, came to view the true 
condition of things, and it "grieved the enemy 
exceedingly." I remember entering a commu- 
nity by buggy, Sabbath morning — nearly every 
store was open, everything betokened business, 
frequenters of saloons inside, a few in the church, 
fear and trembling anions; the few faithful ones. 
Not a promising feature. It was the reign of 
death, Satan's emissaries like a worm devouring 
its victim. Anions the first things asked a citizen 
was, "What did you send for that man for?"' As 
soon as they heard "there was come a man to 
seek the welfare of the children of God" they 
were "grieved exceedingly." There are times 
when God commands us to "walk about Zion, go 



A GENUINE KEVIVAL. 103 

around about her, tell the towers thereof, mark 
ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces," with 
a feeling of holy admiration, and there are times 
when with tearful eye and heavy heart we see her 
waste places ; her joyful song but the jargon of 
discordant notes ; and her faithful services but the 
mimicry of rabid Phariseeism and ecclesiastical 
punctiliousness that can be measured by the char- 
acter of the popular idea, regardless of its moral 
character. Nehemiah looked at the facts. Every 
true master-builder will. Here was rubbish to be 
removed in such quantities as to discourage the 
laborer ; yet it must be removed before the foun- 
dation can be laid. Calmly and prayerfully he 
went from place to place. He saw the needs of 
the case — a distressing one indeed — and then he 
went to the brethren and said, "Come, let us 
build up the walls of Jerusalem, that we be no 
more a reproach." Not go and build. He laid 
the matter on their hearts because he had it on 
his own, and then asked them to go with him to 
the task. Many a discouraged people have taken 
fresh heart again, by having some one whose own 
heart feels the need of the hour, and whose faith 
prompts to service, encourage them to undertake 
what heretofore seemed a hopeless task. 

He told tliem of the goodness of God. He did 
not leave Jehovah out of the count and talk about 
"his plans" and "his ideas." All this was of 



104 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

God, the concern for God's cause, the sorrow of 
heart, the desire to work so that their reproach 
might be taken away. All resulted from the hand 
of the Lord resting upon him for good, inspiring 
new hopes, fresh courage, and a burning desire to 
see the languishing cause rise out of the dust. 

Opposition begins. Tobiah, Sanballat, and 
Geshem live to-day, but never come to view until 
a genuine work of divine grace begins in a com- 
munity. A despicable laugh, an intimidating 
frown, a taunting sneer, are the marks they bear. 
Never have I seen a genuine revival of religion 
where these persons have not appeared. 

Faith expressed. This is the place for faith to 
be introduce!, when opposition begins. So many, 
when they meet the least obstacle, begin to fall 
back. But who need fear while "the God of 
heaven will prosper us?" Like Asa, we can say, 
"It is nothing with Thee to help, with many or 
with them that have no power." God "delights 
to be honored in his saints," and says, "Them 
that honor me I will honor." How many think 
they have faith in God when they see the w T ork 
go forward in other hands, who, if for a moment 
it should cease their so-called faith would cease 
also. Faith works and has its inspiration from 
the unseen and eternal things. Unseen as far as 
mortal sense is concerned, but plainly revealed to 
the believer, and the believer's actions are the 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 105 

portraiture on the canvas, of the things seen in 
the spiritual arena, the substance of the hope 
mapped out before its spiritual gaze. Nehemiah 
could see the walls built, the services held, the 
faces of his brethren illuminated with holy joy, 
the cornet and harp sounding their notes of praise, 
and a long oppressed-people free in God. How 
many times have we entered a community where 
exerything looked most unpromising, no choir, a 
handful to pray, and few of those having any 
faith in the undertaking, many saying, "If;" 
others, "You can't do anything;" others, " We 
have tried so often, I'll wait and see ;" and again, 
"You don't know the community," and every 
outside person perfectly indifferent, and the en- 
emies of God against us, and yet, by faith, we 
exulted in hundreds born into the kingdom, many 
backsliders reclaimed, and a «;reat number made 

7 c 

perfect in love. As we looked into their discon- 
solate, unbelieving faces, we beheld the counte- 
nance that would be, when the holy joy would 
thrill the heart. As we saw them carelessly hold- 
ing a singing book drolling out the notes, we 
could see them when all animated with love to 
the one of whom they were singing, and then the 
joyful expectation of the sweet surprises of God's 
love, more than we could ask or think ; and as 
the steady gaze took in all the scene, we could see, 
Local preachers, sensitive as to their treatment, and 



106 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

visiting ministers sitting on their dignity, waiting 
for special recognition, whose talents could arouse 
many souls slumbering in sin ; arouse, pray, 
work and win, and their being adorned with the 
true dignity, the power of down-reach and uplift 
to save ; hearts estranged over church wrangles, 
united in love ; the sneer of the scoffer changed to 
the heart-rending cry, "What must I do to be 
saved," and the empty house thronged with anx- 
ious faces and sin-stricken hearts, while hundreds 
have left because there was no room. When we 
have expressed our faith in God the unbelieving 
smile would flit across the faces of the hearers, 
and when the work was ended, with tears of joy 
streaming down their cheeks they would say : 
" The half has never been told us," faith honors 
God. 

"Faith, mighty faith, the promise sees 
And looks to that alone; 

Laughs at impossibilities 
And cries, "It shall be done." 
All go to work except a few nobles. Here is 
the secret of many a glorious revival. It is not 
so much what one does, as the diversified work 
of the many, adapting themselves to the peculiar 
wants and convictions of the masses. The leader 
that can secure the co-operation of the many is al- 
most sure of success, and if the many possess a 
diversity of gifts and have faith according to their 
zeal, and are filled with God's spirit, what vie- 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 107 

tories may be won. A few nobles refused to 
work ; they were not of the true nobility how- 
ever, proud, doting. Not the class God gets his 
workmen from ; they culminate by degeneration 
in the modern "dude." The rest did their work 
faithfully, every man interested in his own work 
most. 

Work and success increase opposition. Noth- 
ing arouses the foes of truth and righteousness 
like success in our work. What they cannot 
frown down they will try to pull down. Who- 
ever thinks he can succeed in any noble Christian 
enterprise "without opposition, mistakes the char- 
acter of the foe of Christianity. They have no 
difficulty to discern between a genuine, perma- 
nent work of God, and an abortive religious ex- 
citement, or a humanly conducted unspiritual "de- 
cently and in order" (graveyard) style of work- 
ing for God. The last two they treat with 
indifference, the other they fight until they are 
conquered. They next resort to intimidation and 
and an effort to create the impression of its want 
of genuineness. " If a fox go up, he shall even 
break down their stone wall." 

Increased opposition drives to prayer. Many a 
grand work has ceased at this point, the increased 
opposition taken for a proof the work cannot suc- 
ceed. The work has some discouraging feature ; 
Satan has brought on reinforcements, and we 



108 GET RIGHT "WITH GOD. 

forget to pray to God for help and succor and play 
the man on the battle field. 

"Depend on Him, thou canst not fail, 

Mike all thy wants and wishes known; 
Fear not, his merits must prevail, 



We must not forget our work is in God, and 
for God, and that He is infinitely more interested 
in our success than we can be, and like the work- 
man that goes to the architect for directions how 
to proceed, so we go to God in prayer and ask for 
w T hat we need, and he can supply us abundantly. 
Prayer increases our love and quickens our ser- 
vice. " So built we the wall," for " the people 
had a mind to work," and because the walls were 
built the enemy was "very wroth." Anything 
like a spirit of palliation at this point is damag- 
ing. We always have a compromising element to 
contend w 7 ith whose cry is "prophesy smoother 
things," " do something to pacify them." The 
difficulty is too deep-seated to be met in that way. 
To the enemy of all righteousness there is but 
one word God's aggressive, triumphant hosts can 
utter, that is, 

Surrender ; and until they do they have "no 
portion, right nor memorial in (our) Jerusa- 
lem." Herod and Pilate always get on good 
terms when a genuine revival begins any- 
w 7 here. They " conspired, all of them, against 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 109 

Jerusalem to come and hinder it." How united 
Satan's forces become to overthrow a work of 
God? How united God's people ought to be? I 
have seen church members, and even ministers, 
abettors of Satan's forces. A big supper, a church 
theatrical, a dance, and sometimes ministers who 
heretofore were enemies now unite to become 
enemies of righteousness and a genuine re- 
vival in the community. The workers are 
called "ecclesiastical tramps, "the work "wild 
fire," " working for money ;" but I have never 
known them to refuse one of the converts, especi- 
ally if they had wealth or social prestige. Be- 
side this we have unbelievers in our midst who 
say, "We are not able to build the wall." How 
much we need the spirit of Caleb and Joshua ! 
Often those whom we have a right to expect are 
with us, are against us. How strange they should 
take up stones to stone them because they said, 
"we are fully able to go up and possess the 
land." It is so to-day. The adversaries under- 
take to slay the workman if they cannot stop the 
work, but God in answer to prayer uses some 
do-nothing Jews, to tell the plans o£ the enemy, 
and prepare his people for the emergency. There 
are always church members who do nothing 
toward the success of God's work, lounging 
around stores, offices, and public resorts, talking, 
whittling, smoking, chewing, criticising on any 



110 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

side to keep out of trouble, professedly Christians 
whose influence is on the side of the devil, having 
sympathy enough to tell the discovered plans of 
the enemy. The people of God are doubly 
equipped, prepared to fight and build, sometimes 
on the defensive, at others, on the aggressive side, 
but always victorious if true to God and the 
truth. They have "the Sword of the Spirit, 
which is the Word of God." How necessary it 
is to have that perfect love that castcth out fear. 
"Be not afraid of them, remember the Lord 
which is great and terrible," for "the weapons of 
our warfare arc not carnal, but mighty through 
God to the pulling down of strongholds, casting 
down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts 
itself against the knowledge of God." Faith and 
prayer. 

Bring the counsel of the wicked to naught. 
There are unfailing conditions of success in any 
of God's work. He cannot convert the wicked 
against his will, but he can defeat and confound 
him, and deliver those who are his prey out of 
his hands, and as his good pleasure requires, or as 
his plans for hearing and answering the prayers 
of his saints may demand. "Our God shall fight 
for us." What cheering words ! The leader after 
all is but a mouthpiece for God. It is God that 
fights our battles, and who can withstand him? 

Wrongs made right. Unholy matrimonial al- 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 1 LI 

liances brought with them oppression, and had so 
perverted them they were exacting from the poor, 
contrary to the law, compelling them to reduce 
their sons and daughters to the most menial ser- 
vitude. When Nehemiah saw it " he was angry" 
(indignant), and "rebuked the nobles," to do 
which successfully requires two things, conscious 
purity and integrity yourself, and a clear discrim- 
ination between the sinner and his sins. The sin 
was the common sin of to-day, ''exacting usury." 
We seldom have a meeting where some individual 
has not had to disgorge and restore unlawful, ill- 
gotten gains. I now remember a banker who 
said his business had to be ran on a Christian 
principle or not at all, and when he reduced his 
per cent to lawful interest, God wonderfully 
blessed him. 

Nehemiah knew they could not love God and 
not love their brother, and he demanded that they 
should adjust these matters, saying, "Ought ye 
not to walk in the fear of God" because of the 
reproach of the heathen? The doctrines and 
teachings of our religion cannot hold a people in 
recognition, — the life is the unanswerable argu- 
ment. They made proper restitution, and God 
blessed them "and all the congregation said, 
amen." I have never seen wrong doing: cease 
and a soul take a step in the right direction that 
every good soul did not feel a hearty response. 



112 GET HIGHT WITH GOD. 

Haven't we heard it a hundred times over when 
an oppressor, in the presence of the great congre- 
gation, would pledge to restore and adjust his 
case in the fear of God, "the outburst of an ex- 
ultant throng?" 

Uncompromising service. The enemy failing 
to hinder the work by " laughing us to scorn," 
" mocking us," by a united conspiracy to hinder 
us, now undertake to betray into a battle that 
would hinder the work, but is wisely answered by 
Nehemiah, "I am doing a great work, why should 
the work cease?" One of the most subtle resorts 
of Satan is to get the Church into a controversy 
on some non-essential point that distracts the 
mind of the unsaved and brings no good to those 
who engage in it. Not that they are so particular 
about the point at issue, for if they are defeated 
they have nothing to lose, but to do some mischief 
to the individual by arousing anger, leading to un- 
christian words and conduct, and thereby have the 
individual "come down to them." I have never 
seen controversy end profitably to Christ's king- 
dom. We are not sent to argue or convince, but 
to preach and testify to the grace of God. All 
they desire is to stop the work. They are not 
careful to desire discussion until the work is under 
headway, and then, if they can only distract the 
workman and divert the workers, their aim is 
fully accomplished. The builded wall is its own 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 113 

argument. The next step is to concoct lies and 
send Nehemiah hunting after his reputation. " It 
is reported," of course it is, and ever will be, and 
falsely, too. Did not Jesus say, " Blessed are ye 
when men shall revile you, and shall say all man- 
ner of evil against you falsely for my sake." To 
know that God knows it is false is enough. The 
preacher or worker that is ever running after 
what is " reported among the heathen," will 
never have a moment to work for souls and the 
Master's kingdom. 

Put your reputation once and forever into the 
hands of Jesus and keep on " doing a great work." 
" 'Tis not a cause of small import 

The pastor's care demands ; 
But what might fill an angel's heart, 
And filled a Saviour's hands." 

A great work. How great! building up the 
waste places of Zion, fortifying against the ene- 
mies of Gocl, leading the blind out of darkness 
into " the marvelous light of God," helping to 
rescue the perishing, aiding in resurrecting family 
altars, uniting separated hearts, building up the 
broken-hearted, pointing the sinner to Jesus, tell- 
ing the believer how to get into the fountain of 
cleansing, cheering the faint-hearted, visiting the 
sick, giving cooling draughts to the thirsty, and the 
" Bread of Life" to the hungry, and pointing the 
dying to the home beyond. Glorious work with 
its divine blessing and its eternal reward. 



114 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Another prayer and the work goes on. 

Undaunted courage. Sometimes the man that 
cannot be frowned down, fought down, coaxed 
down, can be betrayed into the idea he ought 
to protect himself. "In the night they will 
come and slay thee;" here is the temple, let us 
flee into it. Not so with Nehemiah. God had 
not given orders to go into the temple, and Ne- 
hemiah said, " Should such a man as I flee?" 
The man that leaves his work without orders from 
God may expect his back to be filled with arrows 
from the enemy the moment he turns around. 
Whoever leaves his post without divine sanction 
may expect to go unprotected, while he who 
stands fearlessly in the path of duty cannot but 
be safe. 

The work done. Through what seeming dis- 
advantages they had passed, with what difficulties 
they had labored, what opposition they had to 
contend with, and yet through it all the work 
was finished. At any point of discouragement 
they might have doubted God, and ceased 
to work and pray, and the enemies have 
rejoiced as they Avei'e driven back, a reproach. 
God's children can work under the greatest 
disadvantages, and He will supply them with 
the needed grace and power equal to their 
demands, so they can accomplish as much, or more 
xxndeL those disadvantages, "with the added grace 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 115 

and power, as they would ordinarily without the 
difficulties." " According to thy day so shall thy 
strength be." Opposition is a school worth grad- 
uatino* from. 

Enemies Discouraged. "And it came to pass 
when all our enemies heard thereof * * * they 
were much cast down in their own eyes, for they 
perceived the work was wrought of our God . ' ' The 
undertaking was so great and so soon accom- 
plished they were convinced God was in it and 
th?y now began to fear lest some evil come upon 
them. So it ought to be at all times. When we 
take God into the account we ought to be sur- 
prised when we do not accomplish great things in a 
short time. Our religion is supernatural, or it is 
nothing. That which would exhaust all our 
powers of a lifetime, unattended with divine aid 
through God, might be accomplished in a little 
time easily. AH through this time of work and 
test " the few nobles" who would not work, were 
traitors in the camp. It seems they were secret- 
ly opposing Nehemiah and befriending Sanballat. 
What courage it gives the enemy to know they 
have friends among those who are battling against 
them. How treacherous is the human heart! 
How many a faithful worker has been betrayed 
by church members upon whom he leaned for 
help and counsel. Every true man soon discovers 
"Cursed is the man who maketh man his trust." 



116 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

I cannot close this sentence better than in the 
words of Dr. Benson: "We learn from the con- 
tents of this chapter that pious people, especially 
those who labor for the glory of God, are exposed 
to many troubles and oppositions, not only from 
their declared enemies who attack them with open 
force, or by craft or calumny, but also from 
those whom the} 7 look upon as brethren. It ap- 
pears also from the wise, steady and pious con- 
duct of Nehemiah that those who labor for the 
public good ought never to be staggered by the 
threats and slanders of the wicked, because, with 
the blessing of God who watches over them, they 
will happily overcome opposition. 

Systematic Organization. As soon as the work 
of building the walls was accomplished, they 
searched out their pedigree according to their 
tribes, and discovered those among them who had 
no part or lot with them, and cast them out. 
Those who remain after a genuine revival unsaved, 
ought to have no part or lot with us, and many 
who are not of us are kept amongst us in hope 
that a revival may reach them who are left, to be 
a reproach to the cause after the revival, whose 
life and practice are a hindrance to the healthy 
growth of the church to which they belong. What 
grace fails to accomplish, discipline ought to. 
Jesus taught this himself. 

Liberal Giving. The demands of the work 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 117 

needed only to be mentioned, and they dealt out 
bountifully for the work of God. It is not 
trouble to bestow our gifts upon a cause we love. 
A genuine revival is always followed by liberal 
giving. A conversion that don't open a stingy 
man's pocket-book is devoid of every truly prac- 
tical feature, and won't last longer than till the 
first subscription for benevolent purposes is raised. 
Every ancient and modern revival of religion has 
been .followed by wonderful giving. Brother, if 
there is a harrassing debt, a dilapidated building, 
an unpainted parsonage, a deficiency in salary, ask 
God for a revival, and don't go to beating the man 
servants and maid servants, and the hoarded 
wealth will pour in streams toward the sanctuary 
of God, until it will be a luxury to deprive self 
for Christ. We have proved this to the removal 
of all doubt. I will relate one instance : In (he 
fall of 1886 we visited a county-scat of about 
2,000 inhabitants. They were moving along sort 
of even. The pastor was fearful to ask them to 
obligate themselves for any amount for special 
aid. We commenced ; seven long weeks the work 
went forward. About 400 were saved, reclaimed 
or sanctified. With the utmost ease the pastor 
raised the amount desired to pay the invited work- 
ers. One Sabbath we raised $738 for missions to 
send this gospel to others. An addition was 
added to the church costing $3,000. In all, that 



118 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

people who would think it impossible heretofore, 
raised $5,000 for God's cause, and never were 
they richer and happier than now. At the Penta- 
costal revival they "sold all, and laid it at the 
Apostles' feet;" not that it was required or ex- 
acted, but they wanted to do it. Oh for a revival 
of the "want to" kind of piety — that give because 
they love to do so. 

Calling for the Neglected Word. A genuine 
revival places the word of God in its true relation, 
making it a book of authority. Intellectual gen- 
uflections, prosy essays, and speculative theology, 
are at an awful discount after a genuine revival. 
A well man can't live on "float" and "gin&er 
bread." He wants a slice of the "bread from 
heaven," the meat, corn, oil, pomegranites, grapes 
of Eschol, and honey out of a rock from the land 
of Canaan. He is more interested in bcin^ rii>ht 
with God than versed in scriptural glossary. For 
long hours they stood and listened to the " Word 
of God." Not a twenty minutes something as 
devoid of divine ideas as ice is of warmth. Ezra 
read the word of God, and gave the meaning. 
"So they read in the book of the law of God dis- 
tinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to 
understand the reading." This is the true office 
of the minister, to not merely read the word but 
to give the sense — not what he thinks, but what he 
understands, experiences, aiid has demonstrated 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 1L9 

for himself. Dr. Parker says : "No man has any 
right in this kind of work to address any other 
man except that right is founded on Ids inspira- 
tion. There is no impertinence more intolerable 
than for any man to stand up and tell his fellow- 
man to be good, to repent, if so be he is deliver- 
ing something, which he attributes to the heart 
and zeal of his own imagination. It will ever be 
his careful business, with an industry that knows no 
relaxation, to make his life equal to his speech.'' 
And all the people said "Amen! Amen!" The 
sight of the grand old book, the earnest preacher, 
the voice divine ringing in their ears, so long since 
they heard it, though it was about to cut to the 
core, though it would condemn and cause much 
relenting and humble confession, yet they rejoiced 
to hear it. What a grand shout, by the united 
voices of thousands ! What a grand ring, like 
the music of the skies, as they all said from joy- 
ful, happy hearts, Amen ! Not the dull tone of a 
parrot-like response to a ritualistic movement, but 
the Amen that leaps from the lips into the air to 
echo and re-echo as an undying inspiration to oth- 
ers. Many sentences brought to remembrance 
the former days, the long interval since God 
caused his face to shine upon them. How could 
they keep from weeping ! The law condemned 
as well as encouraged. How they had broken it ! 
Will God be angry forever? No. Here is a gos- 



120 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

pel also ever near to the seeking one. "Mourn 
not, nor weep not. Go your waj% eat the fat, 
drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for 
whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy 
unto our Lord ; neither be ye sorry, for the joy 
of the Lord is your strength ." 

Devout Worship. They now statedly gathered 
to know more out of the law. The Levites taught 
them so they could understand. Now they in- 
tently desire to know what, in their sins, they 
spurned from them. They discovered God had 
claims upon their time and service, and the ad- 
justing their cases could not be attended to while 
engaged in the distracting cares of life, so they 
arranged for a 

Grand Camp Meeting, for eight days. They 
gathered branches, made booths, arranged all 
their affairs for one continuous service. They 
had a greater time of rejoicing than at any period 
since Joshua led them with wonderful triumph 
into the "Promised Land." Then they took pos- 
session ; now the same blessed Lord restored it to 
them. 

U A land of corn, and wine, and oil, 
Favored with God's peculiar smile, 

With every blessing blest; 
There dwells the Lord our Righteousness, 
And keeps his own in perfect peace, 

And everlasting rest." 

How many a church, after a long captivity, be- 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 121 

cause they have taken the course herein pointed 
out, has come up out of the wilderness "fair as 
the moon, bright as the sun, and terrible as an 
army, with banners," " a crown of glory in the 
hand of the Lord," no more termed Forsaken, but 
"Beulah, for the Lord delight eth in thee." Every 
lost heritage through sin may be fully restored by 
divine grace. 

During this meeting what confession, what con- 
trition, what fasting — separating themselves from 
unholy alliance. One-fourth of the day confess- 
ing, and then rejoicing over every wrong made 
right and victory achieved. How they worshipped 
the God of their fathers, recounting his goodness 
and faithfulness, his miracles and divine care and 
guidance, and the righteousness of his word and 
will. How they lamented their own unfaithful- 
ness, and their refusing to obey God nor regard 
his wonders, trampling under foot his oft-ex- 
tended pardoning mercy, their idolatry and broken 
pledges of fealty, after giving them victory over 
kingdoms, and multiplying them as the stars of 
heaven. But God is ever gracious. They now 
come to be his servants, and they made a written 
covenant "to walk in God's law * * * and to ob- 
serve to do all the commandments of the 
Lord ;" to keep themselves a separate people ; to 
keep the Sabbath day holy ; to make no exactions 
of their brethren - 9 to give liberally every year 



122 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

" for the service of the house of our God;" to 
bring the first fruits to God, of the ground, oil, 
wine, cattle, and sons ; to pay one-tenth to the 
Levites, and to never "forsake the house of 
God." 

The priests and the Levites purified themselves 
and the people, and "separate from Israel all the 
mixed multitude," casting out the "Tobiahs ;" 
strange wives were separated and sent away, as 
in the days of Ezra, with their children. All that 
these occasions typify are realized during the con- 
tinuance of a genuine revival of religion. Con- 
fession of sins, there can be no scriptural pardon 
without it ; giving up unholy alliances, no soul 
can continue in sinful society and secure the di- 
vine favor ; restitution must be made ; the cove- 
nant, not written with ink, but on the fleshy tablet 
of the heart, "to walk in God's law and do his 
commandments," must be scaled ; systematic 
giving must be promised, stinginess must die the 
death ; a gospel for twenty-five cents a quarter 
must be abandoned for "one-tenth^ of our sub- 
stance, "for the service of the house of our God ;" 
unholy matrimonial alliances must be abandoned 
(see chapter on divorce) ; the ministry must be 
purified and the members made holy unto the 
Lord Holiness, is to be the normal state of the 
church, and love reign throughout the brother- 
hood ; the whole family to attend divine service 



A GENUINE REVIVAL. 123 

and rejoice together ; not one here, a husband 
there, the son at the saloon, and the daughter at 
the dance. 

Such are the characteristics of a genuine revi- 
val. God has reproduced it over and over along 
these lines ; and a revival that stops short of the 
purification of the ministry and membership will 
retrograde in its results, just in proportion to the 
conscious uncleanness of the minister and mem- 
bership. A genuine revival is an end to the prob- 
lem, How to keep converts together? not with 
lawn, social, grab-box and neck-tie parties, oyster, 
strawberry and ice cream festivals. A genuine 
revival will drive any church out of its 2x6 nook 
in the corner for prayer meeting, and will fill the 
prayer room with a happy, joyful, prayerful, sing- 
ing multitude, with "the joy of the Lord as their 
strength;" not to be coaxed to speak, sing and 
pray, like you would prime and work an old suc- 
tion pump, but whose inspiring song, fervent 
prayer, burning testimonials flow from an ever- 
lasting spring. May our land be visited with ten 
thousand genuine revivals, sweeping from shore 
to shore, and ten thousand times ten thousand be 
saved and washed in the blood of the lamb, until 
the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms 
of our Lord and his Christ, "even so Lord Jesus 
come quickly." 



124 GET RIGHT WITH GOD, 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 



YyYEQS wonderful experience, that so compara- 
tively few enjoy, but is so often ignorantly 
\ prayed for, is the privilege of every true be- 
liever, and an essential requisite to a successful 
ministry of the Word of God. It is the dying need 
of the church to-day. It is a positive experience, 
and distinct from regeneration, or any blessings ac- 
companying it. It is the oil for the anointing, the 
fire on the sacrifice, the power of Christianity. It is 
not merely an overflow of emotion, that subsides as 
easily as it rises ; an exuberance of feeling, re- 
sulting in shouting, clapping of hands, or great 
volubility of speech ; all these may, or may not 
exist in connection with the baptism. These 
sometimes exist in those who are even doubtful 
as to the divine acceptance, and in individuals who 
an hour afterward would become angry, or a tale- 
bearer, or say unkind things under provocation. 
It is not an experience distinctively for preachers, 
though every minister ought to possess it. It is 
more than the witness of the Spirit to our accept- 
ance, or the blessing received by the disciples 
after the resurrection ; when Jesus breathed upon 
them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost." 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 125 

Eight hundred years before Christ, the prophet 
Joel predicted the bestowment of this baptism 
upon the first Christians. "And it shall come to 
pass afterward that I will pour out my Spirit upon 
all flesh," etc. This promise was for some time 
in the future, and had reference to the baptism 
received at Pentecost ; as, on that occasion Peter 
quoted these verses and said, "this is that which 
was spoken by the prophet Joel." Again, in 
Ezekiel, 36:27, we read : "And I will put my 
Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my 
statiftes." Not, I will testify to your acceptance, 
but I will put my Spirit within you — an indwell- 
ing Spirit, diffusing life and power throughout the 
being, enabling him to actively fulfill all the com- 
mands of God, and walk progressively in his 
statutes. In the 25th verse, "Then will I sprin- 
kle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean." 
The figure of water is typical of purity, also of the 
instrument, the Word of God. "Now ye are clean 
through the Word" and the Agent, the Holy 
Spirit. "And he showed me a pure river of water 
of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the 
throne of God and the Lamb." "He that be- 
lieveth in me out of his (inner nature) shall flow 
rivers of living water. But this he spake of the 
Spirit." The operation of the Agent is contin- 
uous. 



126 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

"Sprinkle me ever with thy blood, 
And cleanse and keep me clean." 

God says, in Jeremiah, 31 : 33, "I will put my 
law in their inward parts, and write it upon their 
hearts." This is the law of life in Christ Jesus, 
the divine life in the inward or spiritual nature. 
This of course requires a spiritual agent. This is 
the same as in Ezekiel : "I will put my Spirit" 
into your spiritual nature, and my law of love 
upon the fleshly tables of the heart. They could 
not be fleshly (living, tender), if not changed, by 
regeneration, from a heart of stone. 

Speaking of this baptism in Malachi, 3:2, 3, 
the baptism of Jesus, not John: "He is like a 
refiner's fire." Of this verse Dr. Lowrey says: 
"The reference is to the process of refining gold 
and silver in chemical metalurgy by the use of 
the crucible under the powerful agency of fire. 
The whole Gospel covenant, with all its efficacious 
provisions, is the crucible, the Holy Spirit is the 
fire, Jesus himself is the watchful and deeply in- 
terested purifier ; and, like a wistful and practiced 
refiner, he notes the sanctifying work until the 
heart becomes so pure that, like a mirror, it re- 
flects his own image." 

In Matthew, 3 : 11, John the Baptist speaks of 
Jesus as the Baptizer of the Holy Ghost, which 
baptism, compared with his "baptism unto re- 
pentance," is as the zenith glory of noonday 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 127 

brightness to the dim rays of approaching day. 
He will cut up the roots of sin with the axe of 
truth ; so that not a vestige of the fibres will re- 
main. The axe cuts up and out the roots, and 
the fire consumes them, as it does the chaff just 
separated from the wheat. 

When Jesus was addressing the disciples, pre- 
vious to his death, in those tender, cheering words, 
in John, 14 : 16, he said : "I will pray the Father, 
and he shall give you another Comforter, that he 
may abide with you forever * * * and shall be in 
you." This person was not received until the 
day of Pentecost, in the sense he was to come to 
the disciples ; though they had received a measure 
of the Spirit before, the evidence their names were 
written in heaven, the witness to sonship ; and yet 
there was a baptism to be received before they 
commenced their great life work. Jesus himself 
said, as he break bread with the disciples after 
his resurrection, "And behold I send the promise 
of my Father upon you, but tarry ye in Jerusa- 
salem until ye be endued with power from on 
high." It is very evident that a power requisite 
to their great work was yet to be bestowed, and 
yet they had the fruit of a measure of the Spirit 
in them, for after he was received up out of their 
sight "they worshipped him and returned to Jeru- 
salem with great joy." But "the promise of the 
Father" was the baptism of the Holy Ghost; 



128 GET IlIGHT WITH GOD. 

for Luke says, in Acts, 1:5, that the promise 
was, that "they should be baptized with 
the Holy Ghost not many days hence," and 
that they should "receive the power of the 
Holy Ghost coming upon them," and they 
should bo witnesses unto him "both in Jerusalem, 
and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the 
uttermost part of the earth." Eighth verse: 
Though they had "great joy," they had not re- 
ceived the baptism ; but it was to come "not many 
days hence." 

These verses plainly show they were disciples, 
believers ; they had received the Holy Ghost in a 
measure, their names were written in heaven. It 
was a promise to be fulfilled in the future. They 
dad great joy after the Saviour's departure ; they 
had been greatly blessed in preaching ; many of 
their converts were with them in full fellowship. 
Peter had avowed his love anew. Thomas had 
all his doubts removed as to Christ's Messiahship. 
They filled out the apostleship, which Judas by 
transgression had forfeited. No quarreling, no 
strife, no spirit of censoriousness, the promise 
given, faith steady, hope buoyant, the meeting ar- 
ranged for, large expectation, the time propitious, 
the Jewish feast, everything in readiness to inaugu- 
rate the glorious truth, but the baptism has not 
yet come. Can it be that he shall fail to come as 
promised? How little power we have without 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 129 

him ! He was with us forty days after his resur- 
rection. It will soon be the feast of Pentecost ; 
may he not come then? 

How and when shall the promised baptism come ? 
They were commanded to wait for it. The advent 
of the Saviour, though expected somewhat, w T as a 
sudden surprise to the waiting world. His com- 
ing again in glory is to be sudden. Will the 
executive of the Godhead come that way? They 
were all in the upper room, a hundred and twenty 
of them, with one accord, waiting. (What a 
company, if, as some say, they were sinners un- 
converted? How many a preacher would shout 
for joy if he could get one hundred and twenty 
of his members to prayer meeting and have them 
of one accord?) "And suddenly there came a 
sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, 
* * * and there appeared unto them cloven tongues 
like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And 
they were all filled with the Holy Ghost." That 
this baptism came instantaneously none can doubt. 
A fresh baptism was bestowed later on. Acts, 
4:31: In the one instance "suddenly," in the 
other "when they had prayed." No doubt they 
had other similar meetings, not recorded, with as 
gracious personal results. 

When Peter preached to the household of Cor- 
nelius, "the Holy Ghost fell upon them as in the 
beginning, and the results were the same, "put- 



130 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

ting do difference between them and us, purifying 
their hearts by faith." The manifestations were 
different, the results the same. 

I wish to state a few errors in regard to ob- 
taining this baptism : 

1st. That it is the aggregated power of a well 
developed moral nature. The Bible says, it came 
suddenly and fell upon each of them. This is the 
poured out baptism from the hand of the only 
administrator of "the Holy Ghost and fire" that 
John announced. There is no reason why he 
should shed it abroad by profusion in its first be- 
stowment, and manifest it by accretion afterward. 
In the subsequent bestowment under the preach- 
ing of Peter, he says : "As I began to speak the 
Holy Ghost fell upon them." It certainly is not 
transmitted, and instead of its being a result it is a 
cause of all normal growth, the source of all true 
spiritual power. The baptism of the Holy Ghost 
is the fulness of the life and power that quickens 
into intense activity our moral, mental, and even 
our physical powers ; by which exercise, growth 
is constant and normal, yea symmetrical and beau- 
tiful. A baptism of the Holy Ghost is a baptism 
of holiness. The disciples were not working, but 
waiting and tarrying, "Ye shall receive the 
power," and it is the power that destroys sin, sel- 
fishness, and enables us to do, suffer or wait the 
will of God. Ye shall receive it, not grow into it. 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 131 

2d. Not by culture. We don't train our spirit- 
ual natures up to the point of holy living and 
holy being. Depravity, that is killed instantly 
by the lightning of a baptism, is a very unprom- 
ising plant to uproot by culture. There are two 
classes of effects experienced in its bestowment. 

First. Internal. — It reveals the character and 
person of Christ to the inner consciousness. Pre- 
vious to this baptism Jesus is more especially known 
in those offices of his that accomplish a work for 
us : pardon, advocacy, salvation from the wrath of 
God, and guilt and condemnation of sin. In a 
vague sense the Spirit is conceived as the agent of 
our regeneration. The works, more than the na- 
ture and character of Jesus, are revealed in pre- 
ceding experiences. Under this baptism the holy 
nature and spotless character of Christ are brought 
to view. 

The personality of the Holy Spirit is gloriously 

revealed. It puts an end to the idea that the 

Holy Spirit is but an influence proceeding from 

the Father and the Son, and settles his gender in 

our terminology, "When He is come." It gives 

gracious illumination to the understanding — 

I, John, 2 : 20. It verifies the language of Charles 

Wesley : 

"Unlock the truth, thyself the key, 
Unseal the sacred book." 

A gracious baptism of the Holy Ghost will give 



132 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

us more understanding of the truth in three min- 
utes after removing our depravity than all the 
lexicographers and commentators without the aid 
of the illuminations of the Divine Spirit. It also 
greatly quickens the conscience, and focalizes all 
truth, so it may give heat as well as light. It 
makes the conscience very susceptible of sins's 
approach, intensifying the vision. 

It keeps the graces perfect in measure and nor- 
mal in growth . Not fitful and sporadic bestow- 
ments of grace and power, producing abnormal 
moral states, but the constraining power of a di- 
vine life in its fulness, moving out through all the 
avenues of the spirit nature, so that the soul truly 
grows in grace. 

This baptism bestows a gracious anointing for 
service. How much this is needed in all our w r ork. 
Many a man, full of the letter of the truth, is 
empty of the Spirit which makes its impartation 
unctious and acceptable. If we cannot win by 
the power of love and grace, we cannot drive a 
free moral being with the sledge-hammer truths 
on cold iron. 

It bestoivs a spotless purity, "whiter than snow." 
Dr. Whedon says : "The baptism of fire mani- 
fested at Pentecost is the severer purgation, burn- 
ing sin away by the sharper agonies, imparting a 
severer spiritual purity." 

It secures an abiding ivitness to holiness, I. Cor., 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 133 

2 : 12, and an unfailing comforter, John, 14 : 16. 

It is a sovereign cure for heterodoxy , of theory 
or practice, involving the soul in sin. 

It imparts a wonderful love for the sheep, flow 
many are standing unmoved amid the desolations 
of Zion, and the lost estate of the millions around 
them. Thousands are servants, toiling from a 
sense of duty, saying if it was not my duty I 
would not do so, not having learned that under 
the power of love imparted in this baptism "la- 
bor is rest." 

It seeds us unto God. — Eph,, 1 : 13 and 4 : 30. 
Shuts us up in God, and God in us. 

It brings the will into ll perfect sympathy with 
God. How fervently such a soul can pray "Thy 
will be done." "It says if my will is not with 
God's will, my will must be wrong, for God's is 
right." 

It gives keeping power when surrounded by ad- 
verse circumstances outwardly. It roots and 
grounds the individual in God. It enables the 
soul to enter within the vail for anchorage, singing 

"Now I have found the ground wherein 
Sure, my soul anchored, may remain." 

It is the source of constant transformations — II. 
Cor., 3:18. The abiding workman carries on his 
task of completing the divine likeness as steadily 
as painter ever continued his work on his canvas, 



134 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

or sculptor ever used his chisel. He makes us 
more and more like Jesus every day. 

Secondly, external. It gives steadfast- 
ness to the observance of the means of Grace, Mai. 
3 : 16 to 18 ; Heb. 10 : 25. Clearness to the testi- 
mony to the measure of saving grace. It removes 
the fear of man which bringeth a snare. The 
disciples, when they received the blessing, " spake 
the word of God with boldness." 

Enlarged systematic liberality. A baptism that 
does not burn up the strings of the pocket-book 
is lacking in the element that distinguishes this 
from any other, namely, fire. Instead of seeing 
how little we can give, it makes us "make ail we 
can, and save all we can ; so as to give all we can." 
It is flatness for the soul in this regard, for the 
Bible says, "A liberal soul shall be fat." Instead 
of measuring a tenth, according to Jewish rule, 
it gives as the Lord prospers us. 

Circumspection in word and deed, especially in 
conversation. Many talk away the grace of God 
out of their hearts by vain conversation. It 
makes us holy in all manner of conversation. The 
symbol of this experience is a tongue set on fire 
of heaven. 

Modesty in apparel, and not distinctive outward 
peculiarity of dress. A whole chapter might be 
written here. So many think the distinctive pecu- 
liarity of this experience is in the shape of the 



THE BAPTISM OF THE HOLY GHOST. 135 

dress, cut of the hair, shaven or unshaven face, 
and they become sanctimonious, instead of the in- 
telligent representative of sanctified common sense. 
The Holy Spirit himself, alone can be the teacher 
in these things, the adjusting of which will be 
largely in keeping with education, taste, and per- 
sonal conviction of duty. 

How may we obtain this blessing? 

Firstly, We must believe it is promised to us 
in the word of God. 

Secondly, We must have a clear evidence of 
our present acceptance with God. 

Thirdly, We must seek it simply that we may 
possess the moral fitness it imparts, and use "the 
measure of the Spirit" given, solely to the glory 
of God and the good of the race. 

Fourthly, We must consecrate all we have and 
are to God, forever to be used for holy purposes, 
in the language of the poet : 

"My body, soul and spirit, 

Jesus, I give to thee; 
A consecrated offering, 

Thine evermore to 6e." 

Fifthly, Having consecrated all to God for- 
ever, we must submit it to God to have everything 
inimicable to the baptism removed, and for the 
bestowment of the gift. 

Sixthly, Then believe he doeth it, singing from 
a trusting heart, 



136 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

"Refining fire go through my heart, 

Illuminate my soul, 
Scatter thy life through every part, 

Aucl sanctify the whole." 

And the fire will fall, the dross will be consumed, 
the heart shall see God in all his fulness and plen- 
titude of grace, the testimony will roll, the lips 
shall magnify the Lord, the unbelief will have 
disappeared, service will be a delight, the inher- 
itance of the saints will burst on 3^0 ur enrapturing 
gaze, the conscious purity that cannot be de- 
scribed will be felt, and love, like a flame, will ascend 
from the altar of a purified affection in sweet 
incense. God will no longer be in the distance, 
but in the heart, now made ready for his home. 
The softest whispers of his love will be music. 
He will have thy undivided heart for himself, and 
bring forth a glorious fruitage in thee. Then 
shall you sing— 

"I worship Thee, Holy Ghost, 

I love to worship Thee; 
With Thee each clay is Pentecost, 

Each night nativity." 



FAITH. 137 



FAITH. 



Vyy HE relation of faith to the salvation of the 
soul is so vital, it is very essential that it be 
\, properly understood. It has been said it is 
the simplest thing in the world. However true 
this may be, it is much mystified in the mind of 
the average Christian. 

What is faith? It is defined as "the act of 
taking God at his word." Webster says it is 
"the belief in the facts and truth of the Scrip- 
tures, with a practical love of them ; especially 
that confiding and affectionate belief in the person 
and work of Christ which affects the character 
and life, and makes a man a true Christian, called 
a practical, evangelical, or saving faith." The 
Bible says, "Faith is the substance of things 
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ;" the 
substantiation of our hopes, the evidence of un- 
seen things. It is an act, a fruit, a result. It 
docs not exist latently in the heart of man in 
quantities, to be used as the individual may choose ; 
it does not exist until we will it into existence by 
the proper use of a faculty which is the power to 
believe. Its existence is conditioned upon an in- 
telligent reason, the operation of the Divine Spirit 



138 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

upon man's motivity, and a proper choice. Many 
have stumbled at this point, confounding the power 
to believe with the act of believing. 

But some will say, Is not faith the gift of God? 
and quote Ephesians, 2:8: "By grace are ye 
saved through faith, and that (grace) not of your- 
selves, it is the gift of God." I know of no pas- 
sage of Scripture that warrants the idea that the 
faith that saves the soul is the gift of God. The 
faith that works miracles in others may b-3 "he 
gave some" faith for healing, for raising the dead, 
to perform many miracles. Thousands have sav- 
ing faith in Jesus who cannot heal a body or raise 
the dead. Some have faith for healing Avho have 
not conscious purity. 

The power to believe is the gift of God in the 
same sense we possess any other faculty of our 
being, while the reason, object and motive of our 
faith are the direct gifts of God to us. The 
power to believe is an essential part of our spirit- 
ual nature, which, perverted by unholy choices, 
results in unbelief. It is an absolute impossibility 
to be an unbeliever and a believer at the same 
time ;, for, according to our choice, through the 
use of the faculty by which we believe, or doubt, 
so shall the act be, and our choices determine our 
moral character. Did not the disciples pray, 
"Lord, increase our faith!" Yes, and the an- 
swer was a reproof for not possessing more faith, 



FAITH. 139 

and a lesson how they could have their faith in- 
creased. He said, "If ye had faith as a grain of 
mustard seed," and doubt not, hut shall believe, 
"ye might say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou 
plucked up by the roots, * * * and it should obey 
you." "But which of you, having a servant 
plowing, or feeding cattle, will say unto him by 
and by, when he is come from the field, Go, and 
sit down to meat ? And will not rather say unto 
him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird 
thyself, and serve me till I have eaten and drunk- 
en ; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink? Doth 
he thank that servant because he did the things 
that were commanded him ? I trow not. So 
likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those 
things which are commanded you, say, We are 
unprofitable servants ; we have done that which 
was our duty to do." — Luke, 17: 7 to 10 inclu- 
sive. 

Here Jesus plainly teaches an increase of faith 
does not come by divine bestowment, but by faith- 
ful service and obedience to the commands. The 
blacksmith has the power to strike the blows that 
develop his muscle. He does not kneel down by 
his anvil to pray for an increase of muscle, or 
stand idly waiting for an increase of muscular 
power. He strikes the iron to-day, to-morrow, 
many days, faithfully, constantly, and upon his 
arm is found, not a muscle merely — he had that 



140 GET KIGHT WITH GOD. 

before, when he was a day old, — but a developed 
muscle, an increased one. AVho does not know 
it came through exercise and eating solid food, 
for the exercise alone would not give an enlarged 
muscle, but the exercise aids the powers of the 
man in assimilating the food, and the very act 
aids in strengthening the appropriating forces that 
make the muscle. He who has faith will work, 
or die, and he who works increases his faith. 
Give me the measure of a man's muscular devel- 
opment and I will tell you the character of blows 
he will give the iron. Tell me tchat he eats, and 
I can tell you the possibilities of his development. 

Jesus said it is our duty to obey the command- 
ments, and thereby secure that power of faith by 
which great things can be accomplished. To dis- 
obey indicates a wrong choice, and results in un- 
belief, inanity and death. 

That faith is not the gift of God, in the sense 
the question is asked, is proven by the following 
Scriptures: "And he marveled because of their 
unbelief." Christ did, or did not marvel. Of this 
verse Wesley says, "He marveled as a man, as 
God nothing was strange unto him." Adam 
Clarke calls it a "curious subject," and refers to 
another Scripture, without any explanation, ex- 
cept a quotation from Quesnel : "Faith puts the 
almighty power of God into the hands of men, 
whereas unbelief appears to tie up even the hands 



FAITH. 141 

of the Almighty." Jesus expected, by virtue of 
his words and works, that his own kinsmen would 
acknowledge him and believe on him as the prom- 
ised Messiah. By no means could he determine 
the choice they would make. When, through un- 
belief, they spurned him, he marveled. If it was 
his province as Lord or Saviour to impart faith, 
he certainly would have known whether he had 
done so or not ; if he did not, and they were de- 
pendent upon him for it, the farce of surprise at 
their non-possession lays him liable to hypocrisy. 
He could not know that which was solely deter- 
mined by an unmade choice, but rightfully ex- 
pected faith, and as is possible with many found 
unbelief. If faith is the gift of God, why with- 
hold the gift and then chide man for not possess- 
ing it? 

Hear the Saviour again : "Oh Jerusalem, Je- 
rusalem ! * * * how often would I have gathered 
you * * * but ye would not." Standing weeping 
over the city he loved so dearly, with aching heart, 
he could not certainly mean to impress the disci- 
ples with the idea he was wonderfully moved over 
a matter which if he chose to avert he could do so ; 
forhesaid "How often would I" but ye would not. 
Can it be possible he would have saved them if he 
could? then he could not, by anything he could 
do, or he would, but he says "ye would not," not 
cannot : and the fact that they could, if they 



142 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

would, caused him sorrow of heart; that could 
only find vent in tears expressive of his utter 
helplessness, though his love and power was infi- 
nite. 

Faith is not, until we will it to be. "I can, I 
will, I now believe," has been sung over thou- 
sands of seeking hearts as they have accepted par- 
don or purity in the blood of the Lamb. Our 
choice may be the opposite of faith by the im- 
proper use of the power or faculty by which we 
believe. 

When Jesus was in the ship asleep, resting from 
the arduous toils of the day, a storm arose, and 
the ship was in danger of being dashed in pieces. 
The disciples awoke him, crying, "Master, carest 
thou not that we perish?" Aroused from his 
restful slumbers, he rebuked their "little faith." 
He did not say, I was asleep and ye could not ask 
me for faith ; now ask, and I will give it you. 
Another puts it, "Ye have power to believe, and 
yet ye do not exercise it." 

When the three disciples were with Jesus on 
the mount of Transfiguration, the others attempt- 
ing to cast out a devil, but failing, he said : "O 
faithless and perverse generation, how long shall 
I be with you, how long shall I suffer } T ou," 
and the failure of the disciples cause the father 
to cry out, "Help my unbelief!" I doubt not 
but their fruitless attempt helped to weaken his 



FAITH. 143 

faith. Jesus encouraged his faith however with 
a precious promise, and he cried out, not you have 
given me faith and I am victor again, but "Lord, 
I believe." 

When Jesus hilled the tree that had no figs yet, 
he said to the disciples "Have faith in God," not 
get faith from God. What would you think of a 
friend who would bow before you asking for 
greater reasons for confidence in your veracity? 
And yet how many in all our religious meetings 
are bowing repeatedly in the presence of that God 
who has given his Word, his Son, and Spirit, and 
never has failed to fulfill every promise when the 
conditions were met, asking for faith, and unwill- 
ing, or too indifferent, to comply with the condi- 
tions upon which he would pour out such a bless- 
ing, there would not be room to receive it. 
Nothing is more disheartening to a being of true 
veracity than to discount his word, and yet the 
average church member to-day, disobedient, neg- 
lectful, if not wilfully sinning against God, will 
say "my trouble is a want of faith ; Lord increase 
my faith," and wait in spiritual death for an an- 
swer as impossible to be given, as the salvation of 
the soul, without faith in Jesus. Our doubting is 
our own act, and we are condemned of God for it. 

When the centurion sent the elders of the Jews 
to Jesus in behalf of his servant w T ho was sick, 
Jesus came back with them to the house. When 



144 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

he was near, the centurion said, "Lord, trouble 
not thyself, for I am not worthy that thou should- 
est enter under my roof ; wherefore neither 
thought I myself worthy to come unto thee : but 
say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 
For I also am a man set under authority, having 
under me soldiers : and I say unto one, Go, and 
he goeth ; and to another, Come, and he cometh ; 
and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 
When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at 
him, aud turned him about, and said unto the 
people that followed him, I say unto you, I have 
not found so great faith, no, not in Israel." 

Here was a man who was not of Israel, and yet 
had such a faith in Jesus and his power that Jesus 
marvelled and said to the people "I have not found 
so great faith, no, not in Israel." He had no 
good reason to expect of a Roman centurion such 
a faith, and he did not expect it, and marvelled 
to find it. He would not surely impart such 
faith, and then having bestowed the gift turn on 
the multitude with a look of surprise and express 
himself thus. Such an imposition would be un- 
worthy of Christ. 

When Jesus was about to raise Lazarus, because 
he loved him, and to display his power among the 
unbelieving Jews, Martha interposed, and he said 
to her, "Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst 
believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God?" 



FAITH. 145 

When Barnabas was visiting the churches, exhort- 
ing them to cleave unto the Lord and "to continue 
in the faith," he did not say "pray for more 
faith." Whoever heard an Apostle praying for 
more faith, or asking God to impart it? He gives 
grace, love, power, and the Holy Spirit, but not 
faith, for faith cannot exist previous to a human 
choice to will it into existence. 

But is not faith one of the graces of the Spirit? 
Dr. Adam Clarke says "this word means fidelity " 
and not saving faith, for before we have the 
Spirit with his graces in us we must believe. How 
contradictory, praying for faith when we must 
have faith to pray. All men have not faith, but 
all men have the power to believe, though all men 
have not the reason or motive for an intelligent 
faith. Some have never heard the word of life, 
and know no reason why they should believe in 
Jesus, nor has the Holy Spirit, by motives of his 
own choosing, aroused them to the necessity of a 
deliberate choice, resulting in the salvation or 
damnation of the soul. If faith is the gift of 
God, why is he displeased with those who have 
heard his word, and not believed, and says, 
" he that believeth not God, hath made 
him a liar ; because he believeth not the 
record that God gave of his Son." What 
a prayer ! Lord, I make thee a liar by my 
unbelief, because thou hast not given me faith to 



146 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

believe thy word. God says, "without faith it is 
impossible to please him." That certainly must 
be a hard master who is displeased at his servants 
not possessing that which he alone can bestow. I 
confess I know no such a master. 

"I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail 
not," said Jesus to Peter, and under such an in- 
fluence Peter was very confident and said, "though 
all forsake thee, yet will not I ;" but his faith 
failed, and he denied his Lord, and cursed and 
swore. Was not the Saviour's own prayer unan- 
swered, "If it be possible let this cup pass from 
me," "and being in an agony he prayed more 
earnestly." Jesus desired Peter to prove true, 
but his faith failed. 

The dying need of the church to-day is not a 
whining cry for more faith, but a loving obedience 
to the divine commands. Thousands in the church 
to-day are praying for more faith, who, if they 
would arise, and put forth the effort that lies in 
their power, would soon put a conquered world 
at our adorable Saviour's feet. 

When the Syrophenician woman came to Jesus 
in behalf of her daughter, he said "O woman, 
great is thy faith." He certainly did not impart 
it, and then commend it. Paul rejoiced that the 
faith of the church at Thessalonica "groweth ex- 
ceedingly." Not that they had rich impartations, 
but he recognized the law of growth, the active 



FAITH. 147 

life principle taking elements outside, and chang- 
ing them by assimilation into those parts that need 
enlargement and nourishment according to the 
original idea in the germ of life. 

T\ T e are commanded to believe, "For if ye be- 
lieve not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." 
How cruel, if faith is the gift of God in the sense 
of a special impartation, that he should threaten 
with punishment so awful those who had not the 
faith to believe when it had not been given. "Be- 
lieve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 
saved," is the language of Paul to the Phillipian 
jailor. 

The reason, and object, for our faith is set forth 
in the Word of God, and revealed in their true 
meaning and import, by the Holy Spirit. The 
reason why we should believe in Jesus is given in 
the word. The blessed Holy Spirit takes the 
things of Christ and shews them unto us, leaving 
us without excuse. He also moves us by putting 
before us, the motives that ought to prompt us to 
a proper choice. It is the fact that for these rea- 
sons and motives I ought to ;-ccept Christ, and 
have no excuse for my rejecting him, that the de- 
liberate choice to spurn him, and distrust him, is 
damning in its character. I ought to believe and 
embrace the Saviour. I could do so ; I do not, 
because I will not, verifying the words of the 
Saviour, "Ye will not come unto me," but we 



148 GET KIGHT WITH GOD. 

cannot come without faith, "for he that cometh 
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a 
rewarder of those that diligently seek him." If I 
will not, I certainly must have the power to do 
so. Faith is the act I perform in coming, and 
appropriating Christ to my heart as a personal 
Saviour. The object of our faith is set forth in 
the following verses : 

"But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, 
even in thy mouth, and in thy heart : that is, the 
word of faith which we preach ; that if thou shalt 
confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt 
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him 
from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with 
the heart man belie veth unto righteousness ; and 
with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on 
him shall not be ashamed. For there is no dif- 
ference between the Jew and the Greek : for the 
same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon 
him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of 
the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call 
on him in whom they have not believed? and how 
shall they believe in him of whom they have not 
heard ? and how shall they hear without a preacher ? 
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? 
as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them 
that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad 
tidings of good things ! But they have not all 



FAITH. 149 

obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who 
hath believed our report? So then faith cometh 
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." — 
Eom. 10:8-17. 

"With the heart, man (lovingly and willingly) 
believeth unto righteousness," or right being — 
the being made right while believing — but he can- 
not believe in a truth, or of a being, of whom he 
has not heard ; and even when he hears of Christ, 
unless the Holy Spirit quickens his understanding, 
and uses the motives that prompt to the proper 
choice, man's dormant spiritual nature and per- 
verted powers would invariably urge the rejection 
of a person, or truth, the application of which, by 
the Spirit's power, would change the whole scope 
of one's activities, and direct them in a channel of 
service the very opposite to his former choices 
and actions. When he believes with the heart 
unto righteousness, and the Holy Spirit responds 
to his faith by imparting the new life, and making 
him a right being, then his actions will be in keep- 
ing with the life imparted, and the life will be fed 
by a living, appropriating faith, for faith is al- 
ways receptive and never bestows, and all spiritual 
blessings are derived through faith. No man un- 
dertakes, with any hope of success, that which he 
believes cannot be accomplished. Faith is the 
substance of his hope. It pictures on the mind, 
through the aid of the Spirit and his imaginative 



150 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

powers, the thing to be made real, and proceeds 
at once, according to the conditions in the case, 
to accomplish its realization. Before it, mountains 
are leveled, rivers crossed, chasms bridged, fires 
quenched, floods stemmed. 

"It laughs at impossibilities, 
And cries, It shall be clone." 

A Christian's faith, linked on to God's love and 
power, makes everything in the promises of God 
possible. 

We must not confound the power to believe, 
or disbelieve, as we may choose, with the act, 
which does not exist until we make our choice, to 
doubt, or trust. 

Our faith is to be in the message, and not the 
messenger. If a telegram comes to me from a 
friend bearing important news, I would be foolish 
to tear it up and cast it away, because I did not 
like the appearance of the messenger or the mode 
of delivery. It is the idea of the friend therein 
contained I- want, and what he desires me to know. 
The messenger must commend himself to me 
by what he is, but the message must not be ig- 
nored, lest I do my friend an injustice that may 
cost me his friendship. It is what the promise 
contains we appropriate, and not the promise 
itself— k < All things whatsoever." The "all things" 
are ours, if we but appropriate them by faith. 

The motive power of an evangelical faith is 



FAITH. 151 

love. It is warmed and intensified by a heart 
burning with love and the Holy Ghost. How 
easy to work for results we love to accomplish. 
How easy to undertake a task we want to per- 
form. What faith in our ability to do it. How 
easy to labor for a being we love. The faith 
of the Scriptures is not a cold, stoical assent to 
a reasonable request, but a burning desire and 
consent carrying everything with it, to do the will 
of God. ''Show me your faith without your 
works, and I will show you my faith by my 
works." 

It is the last act on the human side in securing 
any blessing from God: "Receiving the end of 
your faith, even the salvation of } r our souls," 
"Unto you who believe he is precious," "This is 
the victory that overcometh the world, even your 
faith," "All joy and peace in believing," "Puri- 
fying our hearts by faith," "Sanctified by faith." 
Of course all the preceding conditions must be 
met, before the object desired can be possessed ; 
but when these conditions are met, the individual 
has a right to believe, and he honors God by doing 
so, and greatly dishonors him by not doing so. 

Faith is always in the present tense, I am now 
a believer, or doubter. It knows no other tense. 
Unbelief, the opposite act, is always detrimental 
to man's best interests. It paralyzes his powers, 
and shuts him up within the narrow limits of self. 



152 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

" Blind unbelief is sure to err 
And scan God's works in vain." 

What a blinding, blasting, heartrending history 
it has ! What sorrow, misery and woe, relentings, 
repentings, joyless days and sleepless nights! A 
pang for a song, a frown for love, broken harps, 
hung silent on weeping willows, the voice of holy 
prayer hushed, a prey to fear, fearful forebod- 
ings stretched across the moral sky. No rainbow 
of promise, sin, anguish, death ! How many gates 
of life it has closed, how many feet it has re- 
moved from the narrow way, how many homes 
it has blighted, how many arrows it has thrown, 
grapes of Eschol, pomegranites, finest of the 
wheat, flowing streams, honey out of the rock, 
old corn of the land, all just across a narrow 
stream that unbelief, so timorous, wont let faith 
cross. It conquered Adam in the Garden of 
Eden, the children of Israel in the wilderness, 
David on the housetop, the Jews in the presence 
of a loving, suffering Saviour, Ananias and Sap- 
phira in the church ; it works its destructive rav- 
ages to-day everywhere. It seals the Word of 
God, shuts out the light of heaven, opens the 
gates of perdition, always preparing linen, and a 
hundred pounds of precious ointment to embalm 
Christ, keeps us away from the meeting in the 
upper room where Jesus appears, gives to life a 
shade of night, and to death a sting. 



FAITH. 153 

Not so with the faithful one ; chains, prisons, 
bonds, stripes, even death may await him ; the 
ugly scars, the marks of the dying of the Lord 
Jesus may be deep, an inner prison becomes an 
upper room with its prayers, songs and praises. 
Piercing through the outer gloom, the eye of faith 
can see the city of gold, the jasper walls, can 
hear the melodious strains of the harps of gold, 
and in the face of execution for Christ's sake can 
triumphantly exclaim, "I have kept the faith ;" 
henceforth the crown, the palm, the song, the 
eternal doxology. Faith waited with expectant 
Mary at early dawn for her risen Lord, not 
weighted with spices and linen, but with throb- 
bing, expectant heart because he said, " Destroy 
this temple and in three days I will raise it up 
again." Knowing the time is at hand it watches, 
waits, and receives all it believes for. 

" But can it be that I should prove 

Forever faithful to thy love, 

From sin forever cease? 

And I who dare thy Word believe, 

Without committing sin shall live, 

Shall live to God at last?" 

Blessed, adorable Jesus, keep us by thy power 
and we will ever trust in Thee. 

Passages of Scripture relating to the preceding 
subject : 

1. Heb. 11:1. Scripture definition. 

2. Eph. 2 : 8. Grace, not faith the gift of God. 



154 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

3. Acts 3 : 16. Faith for miracle working. 

4. Luke 17:5. An unanswered prayer. 

5. " 17:7-10. How our faith may be in- 

creased. 

6. Mark 6 : 6 Christ marveled at their unbelief. 

7. Luke 8 : 25. Chided the disciples for want 

of it. 

8. Matt. 17:20. Assigns the reason for their 

failure. 

9. 21 : 21. We must not doubt. 

10. Mark 9 : 23. To faith all things are possible. 

11. Luke 7: 9. He marvelled at the centurion's 

faith. 

12. John 11:40. He urges Martha to believe. 

13. Acts 14 : 22. Barnabas exhorted the church 

to continue in the faith. 

14. Gal. 5 : 22. The grace of the Spirit not trust, 

but fidelity. 

15. 1 John 5 : 10. He who doubts God makes him 

a liar. 

16. Heb. 11 : 6. Without faith it is impossible to 

please God. 

17. Luke 22 : 32. Peter's faith failed him though 

Christ prayed for him. 

18. Matt. 15:28. The Syrophenecian Avoman's 

faith. 

19. 2 Thess. 1: 3. Groweth exceedingly. 

20. Mark 1 : 15. Eepent and believe the Gospel. 



FAITH. 155 

21. John 8 : 24. If ye believe not je shall die in 

your sins. 

22. Aets 16:31. The Philippiaii jailor's conver- 

sion. 

23. Rom. 10:8-17. How it comes, the object, 

and reason of it. 

24. 1 Cor. 2 : 4-5. Faith in the message and not 

the messenger. 

25. John 14 : 10-13. Greater works through faith. 

26. Gal. 5 : 6. Worketh by love. 

27. James 2 : 18. Without works is dead. 

28. 1 Peter 1 : 9. The end of our faith. 

29. 1 Peter 2:7. To the believer he is precious. 

30. Acts. 15:9. Purified by faith. 

31. 1 John 5:4. Overcometh the world. 

32. Luke 21 : 1 Unbelief brings spices for burial. 

33. 2 Tim. 4: 7-8. Reward of faith. 




156 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



DIVORCE. 



"HE following article from the able pen of 
Kev. M. D. Hawes, of the Illinois Conference 
of the M. E. Church, has been selected by 
the author for the chapter on the subject of Di- 
vorce for this little work. A careful reading of 
the chapter will convince every candid, intelligent 
reader of the clearness and scripturalness of its 
contents. I knoAV of no theme of more vital im- 
portance than the one therein discussed. It is 
high time the Church was awake to the devasta- 
tions being wrought in home, and Church, and 
State, by the legalization of our law-making pow- 
ers of a crime that strikes at the heart of all true 
life, and must necessarily produce a deteriorated 
grade of human progeny whose lawlessness, by 
virtue of their moral and mental bias, will give 
to the Church and State more serious problems to 
discuss than the relation of capital to labor. The 
amalgamation of the races, or hair-splitting dis- 
quisitions on predetermined counsels of the secret 
will of Jehovah ; the curse of social disorder ; 
the disharmonies of divinely appointed relation- 
ships ; the want of sanctity in marriage vows : the 
romantic trial of married life entered into with 



DIVORCE. 157 

unitedly conceded view that a few moments in the 
court room can remedy the want of careful study 
of each other's disposition and life aims ; urged 
on by refined lust that has been taken for the 
spotless virgin of love ; the progeny divided by 
Solomon's sword of justice with feelings as un- 
moved as the mother's whose child was dead ; if 
progeny there should be, for abreast with this 
depraved social state is its legitimate offspring, 
the perversion of all divinely appointed purposes 
of the marital estate that lust may hold carnival 
unto the complete overthrow of the home ; in- 
ducements offered legally to that part of the hu- 
man race that conies the nearest betraying revela- 
tion into the hands of Darwinian evolutionism, 
who watch with apeish gaze for the beautiful girl 
who is heir to wealth that maybe squandered, and 
then encouraged to hope to redress her wrongs by 
divorce ; crime high as heaven, black as Egyptian 
night, reversing law and order, philosophy and 
revelation, perpetrated unblushingly ; legalized 
crime against home and offspring, sanctioned by 
the State and practically winked at by the Church, 
running its bloody hand across the highly strung 
harp of pure affection until every string is stained 
and moistened, and Eden's strains are hushed in 
the low jargon of adulterous associations ; angels 
looking around for the " twain" and find the num- 
ber added to or diminished as the aberrations of a 



158 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

diseased affection and a depraved civil power may 
choose. 

That such a crime should become so popular in 
a so-called Christian nation, can but prove that 
religious sentiment is no cure for social and heart 
depravity. We must purify the home, the pulpit 
as an educator must have no uncertain sound, the 
ministerial "cultah" of to-day must turn back- 
ward toward Jerusalem's upper room and receive 
a baptism of divine ideas that will enable every 
man to hear "in his own tongue" the plainly de- 
clared truths of the Word of God. 

I held a meeting once where the leading official 
member was a woman living in adultery according 
to the unmistakable statement of Christ, the true 
wife living in a nice mansion opposite the church ; 
and though all the facts were known, no one 
would raise the question as to her church member- 
ship, and she blindly testifying to being a child 
of God. 

"Cry aloud and spare not," ye sons of the man 
who forgave the penitent adulteress and com- 
manded her to "sin no more," while he spurned 
the heart adulterer and dared him to cast the first 
stone if himself impure. Break down the social 
caste that embraces the adulturer because his sin 
is legalized, by a protest as solemn as eternity, 
that unrepenting they shall not come into our 
assembly. May Jesus purify our hearts, our 



DIVOKCE. 159 

homes, our churches and State, and restore the 
unity alone that can pass the gates of pearl and 
be perpetuated throughout eternity. 

This article so nearly presents my views, and 
sets forth so much more forcibly than I could my- 
self my few scattered thoughts on the subject, 
that I feel indebted to my dear brother for his 
kind offer to furnish me the paper for publication 
after my earnest request. It was written and 
read before the Jacksonville District Ministerial 
Association, and received with the warmest appre- 
ciation of its clearness and merit. May it be a 
means of untold blessing to the many readers of 
this volume : 



DIVORCE. 

Divorce is defined by Webster to be "the legal 
dissolution of the marriage contract by a court, 
or other body having competent authority." A 
correct understanding of the act of dissolution 
will be better obtained by a brief notice of the 
thing dissolved. Therefore we ask what is the 
marriage contract ? what is marriage ? God was 
in the field before we were, and took note of the 
condition of things, and made this record in the 
premises : 

"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and 
evil, thou shalt not eat of it : for in the day that 
thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die. And 



160 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

the Lord God said, It is not good that the man 
should be alone ; I will make him a help meet for 
him. And out of the ground the Lord God formed 
every beast of the field, and every fowl of the 
air, and brought them unto Adam, to see what he 
would call them : and whatsoever Adam called 
every living creature, that was the name thereof. 
And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the 
fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field ; 
but for Adam there was not found a help meet 
for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep 
to fall upon Adam, and he slept : and he took one 
of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof. 
And the rib which the Lord God had taken from 
man, made he a woman, and brought her unto 
the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of 
my bones, and flesh of my flesh : she shall be 
called woman, because she was taken out of man. 
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his 
mother, and shall cleave unto his wife ; and they 
shall be one flesh."— Gen. 2 : 17-24. 

It may be further noted in expansion of these 
germinal utterances of the Holy Spirit, that in 
marriage there is a surrender of selfhood, and a 
deliberate subjection to a new condition of things, 
which is voluntarily entered into under the com- 
forting hope, that what is thus surrendered shall 
be replaced by larger blessings, and be made and 
kept sacred by the amplest protection. 



DIVORCE. 161 

Marriage thus understood becomes a matter of 
such serious and consuming import that the par- 
ties thereto could never be content with its disso- 
lution upon any other grounds than those which 
are the complete overthrow of the state itself. 
So, we confidently assert that there is ever present 
in the souls of parties divorced by the State's quack- 
ery (and for so-called State reasons differing from 
the one divinely prescribed reason,) a solemn 
though unuttered protest, a condition of dissatis- 
faction and a fearful looking forward to judg- 
ment, which cannot be ignored or concealed. But 
we have incidentally thus brought to your notice 
the fact that God, in ordaining the marriage and 
filling it with the rich savors of divinest blessing, 
has also taught us that it may be dissolved ; that 
that section of humanity which had subjected it- 
self to the conditions of wedlock, cheered and 
compensated in the sacrifice and surrender of self- 
hood by the bright vision and probable fruitage 
of virtuous home life, may yet be doomed in the 
visitation of a sin which will blight and kill the 
family life, and so overthrow the whole structure 
of hope built thereon. 

May we ask what that sin is ? Has God any- 
where defined it? Aye, and with largest detail. 
Jesus speaks thus about it : 

"It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away 
his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement : 



162 GET &IGHT WITH god. 

but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put 
away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, 
causeth her to commit adultery : and whosoever 
shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adul- 
tery."— Matt. 5:31, 32. 

"The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting 
him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man 
to put away his wife for every cause ? And he 
answered and said unto them. Have ye not read, 
that he which made them at the beginning, made 
them male and female. And said, For this cause 
shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave 
to his wife ; and they twain shall be one flesh. 
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. 
What therefore God hath joined together, let not 
man put asunder. They say unto him, Why did 
Moses then command to give a writing of divorce- 
ment, and to put her away? He saith unto them 
Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, 
suffered you to put away your wives : but from 
the beginning it was not so. And I say unto yon, 
Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be 
for fornication, and shall marry another, commit- 
teth adultery : and whoso marrieth her which is 
put away doth commit aclulteiy." — Matt. 19 : 3-9. 

"And the Pharisees came to him, and asked 
him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife ? 
tempting him. And he answered and said unto 
them, What did Moses command you? And they 



divokce. 163 

said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, 
and to put her away. And Jesus answered and 
said unto them, For the hardness of your heart 
he wrote you this precept : But from the begin- 
ning of the creation God made them male and fe- 
male. For this cause shall a man leave his father 
and mother, and cleave to his wife ; and they 
twain shall be one flesh : so then they are no more 
twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath 
joined together, let no man put asunder. And in 
the house his disciples asked him again of the 
same matter. And he saith unto them, Whoso- 
ever shall put away his wife, and marry another, 
committeth adultery against her. And if a woman 
shall put away her husband, and be married to 
another, she committeth adultery." — Mark 10. 
2-12. 

It is thus seen that while Jesus aims to conserve 
and protect the married state, he teaches it may 
be overthrown by one sin, and the commission of 
that sin is the amplest, and we may say the only 
justification, for the actual or attempted overthrow 
of the married state. There is a deep, God-hon- 
oring and man-honoring philosophy in the allow- 
ance of adultery or fornication as a ground for 
the dissolution of the marriage bond ; and that 
same philosophy is equally apparent in the denial 
of all other causes as sufficient to justify the over- 
throw of the family as is consequent in every dis- 
solution of the marital estate. 



164 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Why is the sin of adultery or fornication the 
ample justification for divorce, as seen not only 
in the statutes of Jehovah, but in the adjudications 
of the church throughout the centuries, and the 
uttered and recorded voice of universal civilized 
humanity? We do not care to become sentimental 
at this point. We would avoid all semblance of 
the "gush" and twaddle of love-sickness. But 
we would point out in plainest terms the deep 
wrong which is incident to the desecration of the 
home. We repeat the question, why is adultery 
or fornication the only sufficient ground for the 
disruption of the married estate? We name 
two classes of reasons : First, because adul- 
tery is not possible except in the destruction of 
everything which made the marriage bed allowa- 
ble and honorable. It is the direful product of a 
heart soil, over which, and through which, the 
ploughshare of lust has passed ; and the presence 
of lust is the death of all honorable affection. 
More : adultery not only kills and obliterates all 
honorable affection, but is such a stupendous out- 
rage upon injured innocence that the whole race 
voices its protest, and tenders the victim relief in 
the overthrow of his home as the only satisfaction 
possible to him. 

Second, and of kindred import: adultery is not 
only the death of all honorable affection, but 
is itself a real body of death, which answers 



DIVORCE. 165 

to all the legal fictions and presents itself 
as that condition in human society on which is 
visited the fullest and direst measure of social 
obloquy and ostracism as the penalty of such a 
crime, thus becoming the kind of death which 
in the remedies by divorce, severs the marriage 
tie and so emancipates the injured party, even 
though the emancipation is with a scarred and 
bleeding heart and a dishonored and desolated 
home ; or, as another puts it, "whereas, under 
the divine appointment the husband and the 
wife become one flesh, and each become sol- 
emnly bound to cleave unto the other at the 
sacrifice of every other tie of earthly kindred ; 
so divorce is to be tolerated only on account 
of the intervention of some process of nature 
or of crime, which by the sheer force of its 
own violence brake in upon the condition of 
marital integrity and peacefulness, and with its 
own piratical hand topples over and ruins the 
home into which it intrudes." Adultery is such a 
crime. It smites with its own violence, and noth- 
ing of true divinely appointed home life can sur- 
vive the destructive footfall of such a desperado. 
It is death, for all the purposes of human society 
as centering in the family by Divine appointment 
and the allotments of the State, It is death for 
all the purposes of the philosophy of divorce, and 
death, such a death truly discharges the non- 



166 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

offending party from all the obligations imposed 
upon him by the marriage vow. Eead Paul in 
Romans 7 : 

"Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to them 
that know the law), how that the law hath do- 
minion over a man as long as he liveth? For the 
woman which hath a husband is bound by the law 
to her husband, so long as he liveth ; but if the 
husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of 
her husband. So then, if while her husband 
liveth she be married to another man, she shall 
be called an adulteress : but if her husband be 
dead, she is free from that law; so that she is 
no adulteress, though she be married to another 
man." 

Adultery is such a death, and by the very terms 
of our own proposition, and the attendant defini- 
tions, nothing but the violent process of such a 
crime constitutes such a death, and nothing but 
such a death justifies divorce. 

We have now reached the stage of our inquiry 
at which opinions may begin to diverge. While 
all agree that adultery is a scriptural ground for 
divorce, we may not assume that all agree with 
the writer that it is the only scriptural ground of 
divorce. Theproposition of the writer, therefore, 
needs some further support ; and that support 
may come in a partial review of some of the rea- 
sons which are alleged in defense of the shocking 



DIVORCE. 167 

conduct of the State, in granting divorces for the 
many grounds which are specified in the statutes 
of so many of the States of the American Union. 
In a given case, when a petitioner in the courts of 
the land asks divorce upon the ground of the 
adultery of the opposite party, and proves the 
charge, all say the relief asked should be granted. 
It is a singular fact proven, and one to the honor 
of our race, that only a surprisingly small per 
cent of the divorces of the land are for the crime 
of adultery ; but in every case where adultery 
supervenes, and is made the ground of the appeal 
to the courts, the enlightened conscience of the 
day says, let the social structure be at once 
cleansed by granting the prayer of the litigant, 
who seeks honorable relief in the emergency of 
greatest personal wrong and humiliation. It is 
not from such cases, however, that the appaling 
statistics of the divorce litigation of the era are 
derived. Such cases are not the ones which send 
the thrills of disgust and horror down the ranks 
of the conscientious and the God fearing of the 
land. It is not with reference to such cases that 
the General Conference of the M. E. Church, 
enacted the following as the note of solemn warn- 
ing to the members and ministry of that Great 
Church. Discipline 1884, paragraph 46, p. 33: 
<; No divorce except for adultery shall be regarded 
by the church as lawful, and no minister shall 



168 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

solemnize marriage in any case where there is a 
divorced wife or husband living ; but this rule 
shall not be applied to the innocent party to a 
divorce for the cause of adultery, not to divorced 
parties seeking to be reunited in marriage." Our 
disquiet and our fears arise from the wonderful 
inroads which have fairly honeycombed the family 
structure of the day, in the condition giving rise 
to this lamentable showing: A dozen families 
will be declared non-existent in half as many 
hours by a court that has spent a day or two, on 
an issue involving only five dollars, and no princi- 
ple of law worthy of ten minutes serious thought. 
See also the radical and shameful differences in 
other respects which prevail in the treatment ac- 
corded the two great institutions of property, and 
the family. Property would certainly perish from 
off the earth under the very scant protection 
which is accorded to the family. 

The single city of San Francisco, California, in 
1881 granted 364 divorces, which was one divorce 
for every five marriages. Philadelphia comes 
very near the same notch in the abomination. Our 
own sweet-scented, delectable, paradisic Chicago 
is slightly in advance of both Philadelphia and 
San Francisco. The beech woods of Hoosierdom 
are full of marital scandals of the non-scriptural 
sort. 

Upon the divorce question and the phases there- 



DIVORCE. 169 

of which relate to fidelity to the scripture teaching 
and precedent, New England is rotten to the very 
core ; and her rottenness manifests itself wher- 
ever the distinctive New England belt is seen in 
the outstretchings of empire ; whether upon the 
west shore of the Hudson, in the Lake regions of 
New York, in the woods of Northern Ohio and 
Indiana, in Northern Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska, 
the pineries of Michigan and Wisconsin, or the 
wheat sections of Minnesota and Dakota, — in each 
and every one of those regions, where the angular 
Yankee speaks in the nasal twang of the "clown 
East, " and magnifies Boston "cultah," and worships 
Harvard transcendentalism in the persons and 
pages of Emerson, Longfellow and Holmes, there 
traditional looseness upon the marriage question 
asserts itself, and fills the court files with the an- 
nals of his own ungodliness, and loads the social 
atmosphere with the odors of his own unclean- 
ness. 

Various causes are assigned for the condition 
of the case which is here related as so peculiar to 
New England ; and as she appropriates to herself 
the proud distinction of being the land of ideas 
and the mother of inventions, explanations which 
are offered to palliate her iniquity, may be found 
applicable likewise in some sort to the regions 
which she has blasted by her own intrusions and 
teachings. 



170 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

A writer in the Princeton Review, apologizing 
somewhat for the shocking delinquencies of New 
England in the matter under consideration, charges 
a large measure of the marital sins of Yankcedom, 
to two historic aspects which are peculiar to that 
region. The first he notes is the early flinty an- 
tagonisms of the New England Puritans to the 
usurpations of the Papacy. Macaulay says the 
English Puritans opposed bear bating, not because 
it involved sufferings to the bear, but because it 
seemed to afford too much pleasure to the partic- 
ipants in the practice. That sort of spiritual in- 
sanity and cynicism came over in the Mayflower. 
The New England Puritans said to themselves 
'•The Vatican exalts matrimony into a sacrament, 
and ordains that it shall be consummated not 
otherwise than through the priestly office ; accord- 
ingly, to show our hatred of Rome, we hereby so 
degrade matrimony that the two shall be made 
one flesh by the contemptible prerogatives and the 
blundering touch of the justice of the peace." 

The second historic aspect is found in the fac- 
tory life of New England, which takes the place 
of the home in the solution of all the questions of 
the local sociology, and developes the individual 
to such an inordinate extent as to involve sacrifices 
elsewhere which make themselves felt most large- 
ly in the sphere of the family, and the family 
home. 



DIVORCE. 171 

Still another explanation is offered in the devo- 
tion of Boston girls to the pages of George Elliot, 
an adulteress herself the greater portion of her 
literary career. The moral and spiritual cyclones, 
which swept through her soul, generated in the 
high spiritual altitude of the Methodistic memories 
of Adam Bede, she sought to control and hush 
into silence by the inimitable flashes and the un- 
folding of those marvelous intuitions, which are 
embalmed in pages that are to live a thousand 
years ; but those pages, when pushed to the last 
analysis, sum up little else, than real hatred of 
every virtuous wife and mother. The effort is 
a skillful thrust at the Christian home, Avith a Da- 
mascus blade of surpassing brightness and keen- 
ness, and made amid the bursting of the loveliest 
flowers, and the singing of the sweetest birds, and 
the aroma of most delicious literary j)erfumes ! 
But the aforesaid Boston girl rises from the pages 
of George Elliot, fully equipped to appear in the 
forthcoming divorce sensation, in which the al- 
leged absence of proper spiritual affinities is the 
sole ground for invoking the aid of the court in 
the dissolution of the marital estate, and the over- 
throw of a home, which that Boston girl should 
have made the abode of a sweet home life, sancti- 
fied and glorified by the proper subordination of 
highest womanly attainments in aid of the truest 
and grandest womanly destiny. 



172 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

None of the reasons so given go to the root of 
the matter. The whole of the sin has grown out 
of the usurpations of the State. The State has 
interposed, and has actually reversed the whole 
order of society. The action of the State in the 
matter of divorce legislation and divorce adjudi- 
cation has assumed, that the State is before the 
family, in the order of God's providence as seen 
in the history and development of the human race. 
A sadder mistake, a profounder folly was never 
cherished. The family is before the State, in all 
God's ordering and planning among the sons of 
men. The family is the unit in all human affairs. 
The State is nothing else than the sum of deleofa- 
ted potencies, which are ever to be exercised in 
subordination to the home, in the conservation of 
all its precious interests, but never in disregard of 
those interests, or with the aim and end of sub- 
verting them. 

Society, which is but the aggregation of the 
acting family units, may say, and has said to the 
State, you may defend our properties, our per- 
sons, our liberties, and our lives, and all things 
that are comprehended in those interests ; and to 
such an end, we delegate you full power, and 
allow you to devise and work your own machinery ; 
only, do nothing that shall destroy or imperil the 
family. Such a simple, rational formulation of 
the only possible political philosophy makes its 



DIVORCE. 173 

own appeal so conclusively, as to leave little to be 
said in amplification of the notion. The family 
may say, and does say to the State, "you may, 
by proper enactments and decrees, order and re- 
cord, the said fact that the home, in a given case, 
has been disrupted by the crime of adultery, which 
of itself is that body of death, that at once over- 
comes and crowds out the home life. It is that 
criminal violence which slays in the innermost 
sanctuary of society. Granted the presence of 
the sin, the fearful devastation of the sinner, you, 
the State, in becoming dignity, and in becoming 
phase, by delegated authority, may make note of 
that which already has existed in fact, namely, 
that the family has died through the violence 
of crime, and by the only crime that can in any 
possibility involve the life of the family. When 
you have gone so far, then stop. We charge you 
to beware of exceeding the authority hereby given ; 
we especially charge you not to attempt, by your 
own ipse dixit, to make that a crime unto the 
destruction of the family, which is not such a 
crime. We hereby declare unto you in the light 
of the organic covenant of family life, as well as 
in the light of all the divine sanctions relating to 
the same, that there is but one crime that can de- 
stroy, by its own violence and inherent turpitude, 
the fair structure which }^ou are appointed to 
protect, and that crime is adultery ; that for every 



174 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

other form of disturbance which may come to the 
family life, there are the amplest curative provi- 
sions found inhering in its own body. On the 
God-given theory of the family, properly pro- 
tected and not harmed by the State, with the 
mighty inspirations which God can and does dif- 
fuse through his own choicest works, there will 
be found the spirit of largest charity for human 
foibles and weaknesses, and a mighty recupera- 
tive power which cannot be overcome or defeated 
even by a combination of the heaviest burdens 
and crosses and curses which are possible, yea, 
very frequent, as the product from the soil of 
total depravity. 

The State may not, therefore, arrogate to itself 
the power of saying, that that is destructive of the 
family, which the family itself, was ordained to 
grapple with and remedy. The sacred life of the 
family is a treasure, an estate, so delicate, so re- 
fined, and so hidden, as to elude the grasp of all 
agencies outside of itself. In the family, and 
there alone, are found the agents with the ken 
adapted to deliver the blow, and to point the dag- 
ger to the vital spot, and thereby ministering the 
foul touch which destroys the life thereof. 

Lastly, the State never had the power to de- 
stroy the family by legal enactment. When she 
decrees that, desertion, or drunkenness, or abus- 
ive treatment, or the commission of a felonious 



divorce 175 

offence of any sort, maybe seized upon, and mag- 
nified into that form of indignity, which destroys 
the family, she is simply reaching out the hand 
of the parricide, and fruitlessly attempting to slay 
her own mother ! The family does not admit that 
any or all of those causes combined, can in the least 
hurt or destroy her own essential life ; that, after 
each of those and similar sad events, shall have 
transpired, she will go out among the haunts of 
the erring, as the white -Avinged angel of mercy 
and forbearance, and win and bring back the 
sinning one to her own warm embrace. 

Two other points must have brief notice, and 
then the writer is done. First. How are the 
teachings of Paul in Corinthians related to those 
of Christ in the Gospels? Does not the latter 
discuss family disruption? Aye, but always with 
reference to an inherent curative power in the 
family itself. Paul does for causes other than 
adultery, advise separation in certain hard condi- 
tions, but that separation is never, in Paul's 
thought, to be made with the view of a second 
matrimonial alliance , during the life of the separa- 
ted parties, and in the absence of the sin of adul- 
tery. A careful reading of Paul, will show that 
in the separation which he permits, reference is 
continually had to the reconciliation of the par- 
ties, and their restoration to each other. Paul 
doubtless had some very hard cases brought to 



17(3 get HiGht? with god. 

his notice. It could hardly have been otherwise, 
as the outgrowth of heathen society with which 
he had to deal. Some are ready to ask: May 
there not be a case of such hardships short 
of adultery as will justify divorce? Never! Cases 
may arise which justify separation, but that sepa- 
ration may not, must not, be followed by re- 
marriage, even by the innocent party, because 
such re-marriage, under the express words of 
Christ, puts such a party into an adulterous rela- 
tion, which is practically remediless, since by en- 
tering into it, the party means to abide therein ; 
and, under the teaching of St. Paul, it defeats 
the reconciliation of the parties and their restora- 
tion to each other in the spirit, and according to 
the terms of the Christian covenant, which is a 
matter of far more moment to the church, to 
society, to the erring and the wronged parties, 
than that the innocent party, should have a so- 
called vindication by a second marriage. 

If the reconciliation for any reason does not 
occur, then the separation must continue until 
God shall relieve the innocent suffering party by 
the death of the offending one. Such an one may 
not complain under the genius of the Gospel. It 
is a form of sacrifice which God may require of 
some of his best children ; and they must endure 
it for the good of society, and to conserve and 
protect the marital state. That is one of the pos- 



DIVORCE. 177 

sible phases of the cost of the good things which 
belong to the married state ; with such a possible 
issue of marriage, it will be entered into in that 
spirit of deepest dependence upon God for guid- 
ance and support which accords so fully with God's 
word ; and we shall be less and less inclined to 
mock at the saying that " marriages should be 
made in heaven." 

Secondly, and finally, if anybody obtains a di- 
vorce for other cause than the adultery of the of- 
fending party, and remarries again, let not such an 
one hope to make the church a party to his or her 
own crime. Such an one may not be admitted to 
the fold of the church while the second marriage 
subsists, because the relationship under that mar- 
riage is adulterous, by the express teachings of 
Christ ; and the church cannot, and will not receive 
adulterous persons into her fold, while the sin is 
unrepentcd of; and repentance is void, not fol- 
lowed by the abandonment of sin. 

M. D. II A WES. 



I herewith inscribe the proof texts referring to 
the theme as found in this able chapter from the 
pen of my much esteemed friend and brother 
Kev. M. D. Hawes: 

Mark 10 : 11-12. 1 Cor. 7 : 10-11. 

Matthew 5 : 32. 1 Cor. 7 : 39. 

Matthew 19 : 4 to 9. Rom. 7:2,3. 
Luke 1G:18. Mai. 2: 14, 15. 

Gen. 2:18 to 24. 



178 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 



'VvESTITUTION is defined by Webster as "the 
K act of restoring anything to its rightful owner, 
,/\ or of making good, or of giving an equiva- 
lent for any loss, damage or injury." 

Reconciliation, " restoration to harmony, re- 
newal of friendship." These two subjects will 
be treated in the present chapter. 

A somewhat extended experience in leading 
souls to Christ, and the obstacles that intervene, 
warrants me to say these two things play an im- 
portant part in many cases getting right with God. 
That which is not mine, I have no right to appro- 
priate for any personal ends, or that which I may 
possess, if the possession of it was gained unjustly 
or unlawfully. If I have in my possession that 
which I know justly belongs to another, there is 
no way by which I can convince myself that I 
have a right to withhold it, without the consent of 
the party to whom it lawfully belongs. Indeed, 
it becomes my duty to see it is put into the hands 
of the one who owns it, and to know the rightful 
owner, and still withhold it, is to be guilty of theft. 

Many persons in seeking salvation, have been 
brought by the Holy Spirit, to see they had to 



RESTITUTION" AND RECONCILIATION. 179 

make restitution, before God could pardon their 
sins. For some reason, want of light, perhaps, 
with some this conviction is withheld until conse- 
cration for purity. Many a precious soul has been 
lost forever by a damning pride, that would not 
allow them to humble themselves under the mighty 
hand of God, and confess, and restore that which 
they had unlawfully taken from another, defend- 
ing their reputation at the cost of conscious par- 
don and salvation. Others, for want of instruc- 
tion on this matter, have carelessly gone on in an 
unsettled condition of soul, presuming on the 
mercy of God and regardless of the conditions of 
salvation, have supposed that by some means they 
would be saved, without complying with this 
divinely required condition. To palliate their 
consciences they have united with the church, and 
thought by gifts to God's cause, to be saved from 
a proper restitution. 

Some who have made money dishonestly, will 
try to satisfy the voice of a condemning conscience 
by making liberal donations to religious causes, 
and sometimes their so-called liberality is taken 
for Christian beneficence, and urged as an unmis- 
takable proof of their love to God, and his church, 
and has gained for many an one, a position of 
trust and power in the church, devoid of piety, that 
has bound the hands of the faithful ones, and 
has held a whole society back from its divinely 
appointed work and success. 



180 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

The Scriptures are very explicit in this matter. 

" If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and 
kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an 
ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief be 
found breaking up, and be smitten, that he die, 
there shall no blood be shed for him. If the sun 
be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for 
him ; for he should make full restitution ; if he 
have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. 
If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, 
whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep, he shall restore 
double. If a man shall cause a field or vineyard 
to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall 
feed in another man's field ; of the best of his 
own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, 
shall he make restitution. If fire break out, and 
catch in thorns so that the sacks of corn, or the 
standing corn, or the field, be consumed there- 
with, he that kindleth the fire shall surely make 
restitution." — Exodus 22 : 1-6. 

These verses plainly set forth that a man in ad- 
judicating his case must restore that which he has 
taken, w T ith proper compensation for any loss sus- 
tained thereby, and even permitted the sale of a 
man's person, if he had nothing to restore with. 

If a fire, through carelessness, burn down a 
neighbor's field or stacks of corn, restitution must 
be made. With such a law, surely none can find 
warrant for the idea, that these things which 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 181 

have been coveted and taken unlawfully from our 
neighbors, can be retained and the divine favor 
bestowed. But you say, that is Old Testament 
law ; we are in a new dispensation — yes, a dispen- 
sation that amplifies, not abrogates these laws, 
putting their spiritual interpretation upon them ; 
a dispensation, when God doesn't "wink at men's 
ignorance, but commands all men everywhere to 
repent." These requirements are all found in 
the commands, " Love thy neighbor as thyself." 
"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor." 

In Leviticus, 6th chap., 1st to 7th verses: 
"And the Lord spake unto Moses saying, If a soul 
sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and 
lie unto his neighbor in that which was delivered 
him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken 
away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor ; 
or have found that which was lost, and lieth con- 
cerning it, and sweareth falsely ; in any of all 
these that a man doeth, sinning therein : then it 
shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, 
that he shall restore that which he took violently 
away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully got- 
ten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or 
the lost thing which he found, or all that about 
which he hath sworn falsely ; he shall even restore 
it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part 
more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it 
appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering. 



182 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the 
Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, 
with tli j estimation, for a trespass offering, unto 
the priest : and the priest shall make an atonement 
for him before the Lord : and it shall be forgiven 
him for any thing of all that he hath done intrcs- 
passing therein." 

The one who deals falsely with his neighbor in 
a deposit, bargain, robbeiy, or have oppressed his 
neighbor, holding anything found, swearing to a 
lie, "if he hath sinned and is guilty," * * * "he 
shall even restore it in full, and shall add a fifth 
part thereto, than he shall offer his ram for a guilt 
offering, and he shall be forgiven. For not mak- 
ing these requirements, on the part of the priests, 
God was very angry and charged them with pol- 
luting his sanctuary, by offering sacrifices for un- 
adjusted sins. If the individual has not the 
means to adjust the matter according to the scrip- 
tural plan, if he will make proper confession to the 
aggrieved person, and promise restitution, God 
will pardon him on the promissory plan. If the 
one against whom the sin has been committed can- 
not be reached, God has directed the course it 
should take."— [Numbers 5: 7 and 8. It falls 
back into the sanctuary. 

In other words, no man can be truly happy, and 
continue in the possession of that which belongs 
to another. When Jesus came to abide in the 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 183 

house of Zaccheus, ho said to Christ, " If I have 
wronged any man I restore fourfold." I will re- 
late a few incidents to show that no custom or an- 
antiquity can make the wrong, right, or place the 
individual in a right relation to God. 

While holding a revival meeting at O., under 
the plain preaching of the Gospel, a good brother 
threatened to do violence to my person, to relieve 
a guilty conscience. A more sober reflection, 
showed him a proper adjustment of his case would 
bring peace. After a terrific struggle with self 
and Satan, he consented to confess to the proper 
parties his sin, and make a proper adjustment. 
Though poor, and dependent upon his daily toil 
for a living for himself and family, he took the 
train, saw the injured parties, who in their clem- 
ency reduced the obligation three-fourths, and 
made proper arrangements for the balance. Hav- 
ing adjusted the matter in the fear of God, and 
the light of eternity, God gave the long-sought 
peace, and bestowed the divine favor. At the 
same meeting, an old backslider who struggled 
and wrestled with God, in intense agony at the 
altar of prayer, but could not find peace, sat down 
and wrote West to an injured party, adjusting a 
matter of long standing ; when done, at home, 
God poured the joy of conscious pardon into his 
soul, and he was made to shout for joy. 

In the city of D , where God was gloriously 



184 GLT EIGHT WITH GOD. 

converting hundreds of souls, a man became 
deeply convicted of his sins, one of which was the 
appropriation of the funds of a company for 
which he had labored. In conversation he would 
weep, and acknowledge his duty. Often has he 
left the house of prayer, weeping. When impor- 
tuned to go with many friends around him, to the al- 
tar of prayer, he repeatedly said, "I know there is 
no use in my going there, until I make some mat- 
ters right." I often urged him to do so, at the 
peril, yea, the cost of his immortal soul. I fear 
like the rich young man he went away sorrowful, 
as he did not decide to part with his ill-gotten gains. 
At the same meeting a dear brother presented 
himself at the altar of prayer, but, though greatly 
moved and blest in promising the Lord to adjust 
matters, received no relief until he went to his 
office, and after a careful search, with much relief 
to his troubled mind, found in an old pocket book 
a claim of over twenty-six years' standing. With 
the utmost care he counted up the interest to date, 
wrote an acknowledgment to the party, and before 
leaving the office, a peace hitherto unknown, came 
into his soul, and since paying that money has 
possessed " joy unspeakable, and full of glory." 

At Mt. A , a man who had made his money 

by gambling and other unlawful means, under the 
pressure of an awful conviction, presented himself 
at the altar of prayer ; but soon came up against 



RESTITUTION AIsD RECONCILIATION. 185 

his duty in this matter, and refusing to go forward 
ill obedience to the requirements of God, he 
m grieved the Spirit" and fell back into hardness 
of heart. My last account of him is he is under 
the scourge of God ; but harder in sin than ever. 
What will be the eternity of a soul that is " sold 
for a mess of pottage." 

In the same place a noble, dear brother, desir- 
ing 1 to be right with God, settled an old score of 
hundreds of dollars, and has had an undying joy 
in his heart ever since. Also, a dear brother, who 
had the small amount of a dollar and a quarter, 
never was satisfied until it was properly adjusted, 
and though years had transpired since the unfair 
act was performed, he settled it with God and his 
neighbor, and has since lived in the enjoyment of 
perfect love. 

At B , a brother in making an entire conse- 
cration of himself to God, discovered some mat- 
ters had to be adjusted. He had always known 
they were wrong, but had not seen his duty clearly 
in the matter before. In making his consecration 
he promised the Lord to adjust those matters, and 
he received the blessing on the promissory plan, 
but, by an unnecessary delay, and hesitation on his 
part, to put into effect his promise, the blessing 
was withdrawn and he was compelled to meet the 
obligation before the blessing was restored, which 
he did. In the same place a sister has some con- 



18G GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Tictiuns tha,t some property she held ought to be 
turned over to her husband, throwing the entire 
responsibility into his hands. She did so, and 
great peace came into her soul. 

While preaching this gospel at H , a brother 

wonderfully aroused came to me and said, " that 
is the truth, I believe ; why don't our preachers 
preach it and faithfully warn us of the sin." He 
adjusted his case after a fearful struggle and is 
happy to-day in the love of God. 

These things will not die. Not that this alone 
was the sin the individuals mentioned had to ad- 
just, but it was the one that hindered consent to 
adjust them all, in the light of eternity. Many 
others have come under our observation, but these 
few different ones represent the point in question. 
A banker said my business must run by lawful in- 
terest, or not at all. Some made restitution for 
assailing character and trying to tarnish another's 
reputation. If this feature of repentance and con- 
fession was urged, as it ought to be, from the pul- 
pit, and by Christian workers, we would remove 
one of the greatest obstacles to a thorough con- 
version, and a permanent Christian life. If not 
before, at the judgment seat of Christ these mat- 
ters will be adjusted. Acts 3, 21. 

What a presumption to suppose, while we hold 
with a covetous heart that which belongs to an- 
other, that we are right with God. What false 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 187 

teaching that we are not to adjust the past as far 
as possible, that because our sin is in the past 
God indiscriminately forgives. Such blind pre- 
sumption will lead to the awful realization that 
" There is a way which seemeth. right unto a man, 
but the ends thereof is death." 

Reconciliation. This is another branch of the 
same theme. In seeking to get right with God, 
many are unwilling to have a right spirit toward 
those whom they dislike, or who have done them 
some injury, real or supposed, for much of the 
trouble of this class is imaginary. 

The Saviour says, "If thou bringest thy gift to 
the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother 
hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift be- 
fore the altar, and go thy way ; first be reconciled 
to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." 
A Christian must love everybody, and he ceases 
to be a Christian when he ceases to love every- 
body. It is useless to offer a gift to God while 
we have the spirit of enmity against another, or 
are unwilling to be reconciled to another ; yea, we 
must seek reconciliation before we offer our gift, 
and if we have justly caused another to have 
aught against us, we should make all proper 
amends at once. If the individual to whom you 
go to be reconciled will not forgive you, he closes 
up his own way of approach to God, while 
you have, by your effort to adjust the matter, 



188 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

opened your way to forgiveness. Christ says : 
"If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heav- 
enly Father will also forgive you;" if not, neither 
will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses. 
God cannot pardon an unforgiving spirit. "And 
when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught 
against any, that your heavenly Father may for- 
give you your trespasses." 

Paul commands us to "be kind one to another, 
tender-hearted , forgiving one another. ' ' Usually 
both parties have confessions to make, and each 
something to forgive, and it ought to be done in 
the spirit of Christ. How docs he forgive ? As 
he forgives, so ouo'ht we to forgive one another. 

Are ive to have a spirit of reconciliation toward 
those who do not desire to be reconciled to us? For 
our own,sakes yes, any other spirit would be in- 
compatible with love. "If thy brother trespass 
against thee, rebuke him ; if he repent, forgive 
him." If this occurs seventy times seven, and 
he says "I repent," forgive him. God forgives 
more sin in a moment than our worst enemy can 
perpetrate against us in a lifetime. Most earn- 
estly should we forgive a repentant brother. 

Our enemies are to be forgiven if they never 
seek reconciliation, as far as our purpose goes. 

Reconciliation requires a mutual spirit of love 
one toward the other. W T e may forgive an injus- 
tice, and hold ourselves in readiness to be recon- 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 189 

ciled. Under no conditions are we to avenge our- 
selves for any injustice done, lest we sin. 4 'Ven- 
geance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." 
How Joseph could have avenged the cruelty of 
his brethren, when he was Prince of Egypt, but he 
heaped coals of lire upon their heads, and how 
melting the scene when they confessed their sin 
and was reconciled unto their brother. How 
beautiful the meeting of the supplanter Jacob 
(no longer so called because of his victory at 
Peniel) with Esau, his justly aggrieved brother, 
having made all proper restoration, as he thought, 
in gifts, he wrestled in prayer and in the power of 
the blessing there received he met his brother in 
the spirit of love, and they fell on each other's 
neck and wept for joy to see each other's face 
reconciled. 

"While holding revival services in the town of 
C — . a beautiful young lady presented herself at 
the altar of prayer. After a fearful struggle she 
received no answer to her heart-broken cries. An 
old mother in Israel knowing she was entertain- 
ing wrong feelings toward a young lady in the 
congregation, who was not a Christian, knelt down 
beside her and asked her if she wished to be recon- 
ciled to the party. She said if God would bless 
her she would go and be reconciled. The old 
saint told her he would bless her if she would go 
and be reconciled, quoting those passages of 



190 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

scripture referring thereto. Again she struggled ; 
at last she asked the sister to bring her young 
friend to her. She went into the congregation to 
bear the request, but the proud heart of her 
wronged and injured friend would not yield. At 
last she arose from the altar, went back and asked 
her friend's forgiveness, and in the very act she 
was wonderfully saved, and her friend, so con- 
victed, she led her to the altar of prayer, and in 
a few moments they w r ere in each other's arms, 
happy in a Saviour's love. 

At G — , a young man, now in the ministry, 
had a falling out with a member of the same 
church. Wrong words were passed, a law-suit 
for damages was pending. While I was present- 
ing the truth on this subject light flashed across 
his soul ; he took his wife, went to the home of 
the injured party, asked forgiveness, talked it 
over, settled the financial obligation, had prayers 
together, and "heaven came down their souls to 
greet," they parted shouting happy in the love 
of God, and the step that might have turned 
him aside from his divinely appointed course was 
averted, and to-day he is happy in the love of 
God, preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. 
Another incident and I close : 

I knew a man seeking salvation in one of our 
meetings, of more than ordinary intelligence and 
good social standing. After several nights of 



RESTITUTION AND RECONCILIATION. 191 

pleading with the Lord, he arose from the altar 
and said : "I cannot do anything here," and left 
the house. I thought at the time that some un- 
tutored worker at the altar, had done something 
that spoiled the effect of what had been done for 
him, or that he had concluded to pray away from 
the confusion and noise that interferes with some 
persons praying. At the close of the service he 
came back, and, taking me by the hand, he said, 
"It is. all settled now." It appears he had a 
friend a few doors from the church with whom he 
had a difficulty that had ripened into hatred. As 
he knelt at the altar trying to get the Lord into his 
heart, a voice would say, "Go get right with that 
man, and I will bless you," and for nights he 
struggled to get a blessing, and yet unwilling to 
yield the point. After finding he could not get 
God to change the terms, these words came to 
him, "If thou bringest thy gift to the altar and 
there remember that thy brother hath aught 
against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar 
and go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother 
and then come and offer thy gift." He carried 
out the simple teachings of our Lord, turned 
from the altar, and left the place. And as he re- 
turned, his face all illuminated, exchanging words 
of rejoicing as he came up the aisle, I could see 
he had received the first installment of divine love. 
No one doubted he had adjusted the matter with 



192 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

his neighbor. Thank God for that much religion 
to begin with. 

Pay the price, restore that which is not your 
own, be reconciled to thy brother, then be ye rec- 
onciled to God, 

"Wronged and wrong doer, each with raeekened face, 

And cold hands folded over a still heart, 

Pass the green threshold of our common grave, 

Whither all footsteps tend, whence none depart. 

Awed for myself, and pitying my race, 

Our common sorrow, like a mighty wave, 




QUESTIONS AXD ANSWERS. 193 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 



A UESTION 1. Does not God's plan of saving 
i f men by the preaching of the Word involve 

% human experience, as that attestation of the 
Word. If true, ought we not always to be will- 
ing and fflad to give our testimonies for Christ's 
sake, that souls maybe saved? Ans. Most assur- 
edly — to every state of grace enjoyed. 

Ques. 2. Will sanctification take all the scowl out 
of my face, and put a new song into my mouth, so 
I will not sit and criticise the sermon during the 
preaching and feel cross at the preacher's methods ? 
Ans. Yes, and put a grand Amen ! in your soul 
to the truth he utters, because you love it. 

Ques. 3. Are we not responsible for the 
light we may have, if we seek it, as well as the 
light we have? Ans. Yes ; we are to walk in the 
light, and to "search the scriptures" for more. 

Ques. 4. Can a backslider be fully restored? 
Ans. Yes ; to the state from whence he fell, 
but not to the place he would have occupied had 
he not fallen. 

Ques. 5. What is sanctification ? Ans. If you 
mean entire sanctification, it is the loving God 
with all the heart, soul, mind and strength ; a 



194 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

heart emptied of all sin, and filled with the 
fulness of God. 

Ques. 6. How are we to know when we are ac- 
cepted of Christ? Ans. By the witness within that 
we are believing in him for salvation now. By the 
witness of his Spirit, by love for the brethren, by 
overcoming the world, and by keeping his com- 
mandments. 

Ques. 7. Is it not injurious to one's experience 
to argue with opposers of salvation or sanctifica- 
tion? Ans. Alwaj^s. 

Ques. 8. Can a Christian read novels without 
hurting their experience? Ans. It is too great a 
risk to experiment with. 

Ques. 9. Are stated periods of secret prayer 
essential to a godly life? Ans. A godly person 
will make all possible arrangements for stated 
seasons of prayer. 

Ques. 10. Does the Holy Spirit ever lead a per- 
son to give up secret societies? Ans. Very fre- 
quently, especially in making a consecration for 
holiness. 

Ques. 11. How far can we neglect the means 
of grace with impunity? Ans. Not at all. 

Ques. 12. Can any one gain any light by con- 
ferring with persons who like themselves are in 
doubt? Ans. Can the blind lead the blind? 

Ques. 13. Are not persons experiences gener- 
ally injured by seeking counsel of those who op- 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 195 

pose the doctrine and experience of entire sancti- 
fication? Ans. Can you take fire into your bosom 
and not be burned ? 

Ques. 14. Does our amount of faith depend 
upon ourselves? Ans. Yes; according to our 
faith so is it unto us. 

Ques. 15. Is it right to ask God to increase our 
faith? Ans. Whoever knew him to do it? Faith 
is not, until we will it to be. 

Ques. 16. What is the usual result in the expe- 
rience of those who reject the experience of en- 
tire sanctification? Ans. They invariably backslide. 

Ques. 17. Why is it that a soul desiring and 
seeking holiness for years, doing all the Spirit re- 
quires, so far as revealed, makes so little progress? 
Ans. This individual needs intensity of desire — 
an indescribable hungering and thirsting after the 
experience, and light upon the divine method of 
bestowing holiness. Evidently is trying to grow 
into it. 

Ques. 18. Do you think any one will be saved 
without repentance and regeneration? Ans. Where 
the light of the Gospel has shone, no. 

Ques. 19. Does meekness always go with a 
pure heart? Ans. Yes ; it is one of the abiding 
fruits of the fulness of the Spirit. 

Ques. 20. Is there any hunger and thirst after 
righteousness when we have received a clean 
heart? Ans. Hungering and thirsting are normal 



196 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

conditions of a perfect moral nature, but do not 
take on intensity from a long continued lack of 
supply ; nor is that for which we hunger the same 
as when we are seeking purity. All righteousness 
is a gift ; and received by faith, purity is one as- 
pect of righteousness, but not all of it. We can 
not receive more purity after we are made pure, 
but we can receive an enlargement of the graces. 

Ques. 21. Do you mean by " conscious purity'' 
that we feel no desire to sin, or that we cannot 
sin? Ans. That we feel no desire to sin. 

Ques. 22. How shall we best keep the expe- 
rience of entire sanctifieation? By unfailingly 
keeping the conditions upon which you received 
it ; by testifying to it. If a preacher, by preach- 
ing it. 

Ques. 23. Can a sinner obtain a pardon of his 
sins and purity of heart, at the same time? Ans. 
There are no witnesses to the being purified and 
converted at the same time in the history of the 
early Church. John Wesley and Adam Clarke 
found none in the Church after careful examina- 
tion, though they admit such a thing is possible. 
Usually those who claim to have received both 
in conversion, have in heart, if not an open antip- 
athy, for th^se who claim the two distinct experi- 
ences, and this is lacking in the distinctive feature 
of a true purification, which is charity. 

Ques. 24. Will a converted person be saved 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 197 

without holiness? A converted person enjoys 
holiness, or sanctification began, and as long as 
they continue walking in the light, they shall be 
saved. 

Ques. 25. Is the baptism of tire, and the Bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost the same thing? Ans. 
Yes. 

Ques. 26. If a person is really and truly once 
converted, do they not then have purity of heart? 
Ans. The history of Christianity denies this 
view, also millions of the best witnesses. 

Ques. 27. Has mental prayer the same ten- 
dency to purify the heart as oral ones? Ans. 
Prayer does not purify the heart, it is the blood 
of Jesus that purifies us. Oral prayer is very 
helpful to the individual, in aiding his mind to- 
ward centralization. 

Ques. 28. Is purity and entire sanctification 
the same, and should we testify to the experience 
before receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost? 
Ans. Purity is the negative aspect of the positive 
work of sanctification, in connection with which 
comes the baptism, and are all comprised in the 
one blessing. 

Ques. 29. Should we wait for the fiery bap- 
tism before we go out to win souls? You ought 
to have it, to be a success in this regard, but no 
one need wait for that which is bestowed by faith. 



198 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Ques. 30. Is conscious peace an evidence of a 
pure heart? Ans. Not necessarily. 

Ques. 31. In what respect does a call to the 
ministry differ from a call to uny other profes- 
sion? Ans. The ministry is not a profession, it 
is a vocation. 

Ques. 32. If a person should lose their expe- 
rience can they obtain it again? Ans. Yes, by 
meeting the conditions upon which they forfeited 
it. 

Ques. 33. Why is perfection both affirmed and 
denied in the Scriptures? Ans. Christian perfec- 
tion, Adamic, Angelic and Divine perfection, are 
not the same, and it is the misconception of these 
phases that makes apparent contradictions. There 
are no contradictions in the Bible. 

Ques. 34. How are we to know when we are 
led by the Spirit? Ans. God's word, providence, 
the voice of the Spirit, and yo ur impressions 
asxee . 

Ques. 35. Can a heart be clean that is not 
filled with perfect love? Does perfect love make 
duty a pleasure instead of a cross? Ans. The 
cleansing and filling are co-etaneous acts. Yes, 
all duty done in love is made pleasant because 
done by love. 

Ques. 36. Can repentance atone for past sins? 
Ans. It is the blood that makes an atonement. 

Ques. 37. If a converted person should die, 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 199 

would they go to heaven? Ans. Most assuredly, 
for the being made a child makes us an heir ; but 
God would have to purify them for admittance. 

Ques. 38. Can a sanctified person live without 
sin? Ans. A truly penitent soul abandons sin 
forever. 

Ques." 39. What is the first step in coming to 
Christ? Ans, After conviction by the Holy 
Spirit, a total abandonment of sins forever. 

Ques. 40. When you have the love of God shed 
abroad in your heart, and are willing to do every- 
thing and anything for Christ, is not the heart 
clean? Ans, The only indubitable proof of pu- 
rity is the witness of the Spirit. The above would 
indicate purity. 

Ques. 41. What do you think of women talk- 
ing in the churches? Ans. St. Paul says, "Keep 
silence." If they are right with God they cannot 
keep from talking, 

Ques. 42. Should persons prof essing sanctifica- 
tion discuss the doctrine with those who desire 
controversy but are not seeking for truth? Ans, 
No. 

Ques. 43. Does a backslider have to become 
converted a second time? Ans. No ; he must be 
reclaimed from his backslidden state. 

Ques. 44. What is the best thing to tell a sin- 
ner who says he has no feeling? Ans. Tell him 
to act in keeping with the present prompting of 



200 , GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

duty, and he will have more feeling than*he can 
control. 

Ques. 45. What evidence has a man that God 
forgives him, and he is accepted as his child? Ans. 
By the witness of the Spirit. 

Ques. 46. Is not the absence of emotions an 
indication that the Spirit has left us? Ans. No. 

Ques. 47. What are the most common difficul- 
ties in the way of those seeking entire sanctifica- 
tion? Ans. First, indefiniteness in socking ; un- 
willingness to consecrate all to God forever : fear 
of persecution ; unwillingness to testify directly 
to it. 

Ques. 48. When did Paul receive the blessing 
of holiness? Ans. That he did there is no doubt, 
as thirty of his direct testimonies declare. He 
does not state anywhere definitely the time ; some 
suppose while in Arabia. 

Ques. 49. Is not sanctification needed for the 
home and business life, as much as for the duties 
of church life? Ans. Most assuredly. It is a 
state of heart that manifests itself graciously 
everywhere. 

Ques. 50. Is a fretful, dissatisfied spirit con- 
sistent with purity of heart? Ans. No. Purity 
removes it. 

Ques. 51. If one has holiness of heart and can't 
command language to teach others, what is his 
duty? Ans. Humbly and modestly tell your ex. 



QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. 201 

perlence. Teaching requires gifts and endow- 
ments, as well as experience. 

Ques. 52. Is there any reason why the young 
should not seek purity of heart? Ans. Most as- 
suredly not. Scripture affords several blessed 
examples. 

Ques. 53. Do you think it possible for a true 
Christian to apostatize? Ans. It is too dangerous 
an experiment to try. Yes, fearful examples are 
furnished of this sad fact. 

Ques. 53. Do you think we will recognize each 
other in heaven ? Ans. Certainly. 

Ques. 54. Does God ever answer a prayer un- 
less it is prompted by the Holy Spirit? Ans. 
The Spirit himself maketh intercessions for us by 
begetting the prayer in us that is agreeable to the 
divine will. 

Ques. 55. When are we redeemed from the 
moral effects of the fall, in justification or sancti- 
fication? Ans. In entire sanctification. 

Ques. 56. Should not all Christians seek the 
blessing of holiness? Ans. Yes; many have 
woefully backslidden by refusing to do so, and 
some have lost their souls forever. 

Ques. 57. When Ave consecrate our property to 
God for purity of heart, in what sense do we hold 
it? Ans. As stewards of God, solemnly pledged 
to use it for holy purposes, and for God's glory. 

Ques. 58. How are we to distinguish between 



202 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

infirmities and inbred sin? Ans. Infirmities lie in 
the realm of the intellect and sensibilities, and 
never in the affections and will. Inbred sin has 
a moral character, and always exists in the affec- 
tions and prompts to sinful choices. 



<&r*°°*^ 




204 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 



VWT1E diagram, on the foregoing page is the foun- 
dation, on the blackboard, of an address to the 
\ young, that has been greatly blessed of God 
to the salvation of many youth, and young people. 
Space in this little volume will not permit my giv- 
ing this address in full ; as it is delivered to from 
two to five hundred young people at once, occu- 
pying an entire afternoon service. I can but 
touch each point with a brief explanation and pass 
on, trusting it will be used of God to the salva- 
tion of many more ; and especially to the sever- 
ance of all unholy alliances, which leave such 
burning, scalding tears and broken hearts along 
life's pathway. 

Later on, I purpose to refer to some instances 
that have come under my own observation, which 
will illustrate the points in question. The hori- 
zonal line drawn across the centre of the page, 
has written above it Salvation Line. It is desig- 
nated to represent the point below which, if we 
are found, we are unsaved ; and are subject to 
eternal damnation. 

The parallel lines running upward, at an angle 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 205 

of about forty degress, represent the course of the 
saved soul from the point in life's period from 
which he starts. The long curved line underneath 
represents the downward course of an unsaved 
soul, and the average ratio of his descent. 

You will also notice perpendicular lines run- 
ning down to meet the curved line. These repre- 
sent the course to be taken backward to salvation 
and God ; but you will also discover the farther 
down the curved line the sinner travels, the great- 
er the distance to be traveled backward to a start- 
ing point in the right direction, and the lower in 
the scale of being he must be, other things being 
equal. 

These periods are marked with the figures five, 
ten, fifteen, twenty, thirty, forty and fifty, de- 
noting the years reached before starting God- 
ward ; and the period above the number of years 
designates the stage of character the individual 
has reached. 

You will also notice five periods are designated ; 
the Plastic, Formative, Character Building, Ac- 
tive and Fixed, to which more direct attention 
will be called during the address. 

It is very apparent that to start right and con- 
tinue so will produce the best life; but should 
this period be neglected by conditions over which 
the individual has no control, he may early reach 
a choice, where he can start in the right direction, 



206 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

and lead a better life than otherwise. To allow 
this period to pass is to subject the soul to biases 
and developed depravity ; and needs an early re- 
turn, as designated by the second or third per- 
pendicular line ; and may ultimate in a good life. 
To go beyond this, if the book of human ex- 
perience is reliable, is to live a mixed life; and 
unless the soul pushes on to the highest state of 
grace to produce a very unsatisfactory life. 

Having thus briefly explained the nature of the 
blackboard design, we now proceed to elucidate 
some of its glorious truths. May the blessed 
Holy Spirit guide the writer and the reader. 
Life is real, and may be grand and eminently 
useful and fruitful in every good word and work. 
Joseph Cook says : " There is a good way, abet- 
ter way, and a best way to live." Many fail to 
reach the best way ; indeed, many are living in 
the worst way, who, if their steps had been guided 
aright during the early period of life, would never 
have drank the bitter cup, and required such a 
course of retraction as sometimes causes them to 
prefer the doom of the lost, than to undertake the 
adjustment of their case according to scriptural 
standards. Many a soul is setting prematurely, 
in eternal darkness that might live forever with 
God, and end in the true ripeness of a golden 
sunset. 

God has a purpose of good toward every indi- 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 207 

vidual, and wants to make the greatest possible 
out of every life, for the good of the person, and 
his own glory. Sin and rebellion mar the divine 
plan, and compels Jehovah to abandon his grand- 
est designs, born in a heart of infinite love ; and 
to accommodate his purposes and plans to the 
character of the individual, A loving father de- 
signed to do grand things for his son ; but, con- 
trary to the best wishes of his parent, he became 
an inebriate. His father could not do for him 
what his love and ability designed. The change 
in the character of his boy compelled a change in 
his procedure. The nature of things, and the re- 
demptive scheme are all centered upon the de- 
struction of the destroyer ; and the bestowment of 
the greatest possible privileges upon the race of 
mankind ; and divine grace runs back to the be- 
ginnings to save, redeem, and bless the race. If 
the individual, knowing the divine purpose con- 
cerning him, and urged by the greatest consider- 
ations, to accept and obey, and to enjoy the bless- 
ings growing out of a life in harmony with God's 
beneficent designs, deliberately refuses to walk in 
the best path and secure the best enjoyments ; is 
it any wonder such disobedience, secures a forfeit- 
ure of the best life forever? Though ample pro- 
vision has been made for a full and free pardon 
for all his misdoings ; there is no promise that a 
life misspent can be restored to what it ivoald have 



208 GET MGHT WITH GOD. 

been, had it not been misused ; and this fact is set 
forth by the parallel lines, each under the other, 
though running in the same direction ; the high- 
est line setting forth what he might have been, 
had he started in the right direction in early life. 

Of course, if the individual starts in early life 
in the right, and is unfaithful in the prosecution 
of his course, he will drop down, as represented 
by the line drawn from one parallel line to the 
other, to the same level with the one whose start 
was not as favorable, but who constantly and 
faithfully pursues his way, saying, " This one 
thing I do." Yea, if the second continues faith- 
fully to walk in all the light of God, he may out- 
strip the other in the way, and he who was last, be 
first. 

Every life has its beginning, and no period is 
of more vital importance. Many parents have 
failed to grasp this fact, and have neglected, at 
an awful cost, even the eternal loss of their souls, 
the moral training of their offspring. 

The first period to which I call your attention 
is the Plastic Period, ranging from one to five 
years. During this time the moral and intellect- 
ual nature is capable of being moulded according 
to the design of the workman. Every child com- 
ing into the world has the capacity to receive all 
that distinctively belongs to our holy religion ; 
and, as it has a religious nature, may be taught 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNGL 209 

to love an idol, or Jesus the Son of God ; or, by 
a neglect of its moral nature, may by example learn 
to love that which is wrong, before the moral 
quality, or damaging consequences is revealed to 
their judgment ; and, by that example, may en- 
courage and develop the latent, transmitted, inhe- 
rent depravity at the ultimate cost of the immortal 
soul. To an infant the mother stands in the place 
of God, and with solemn command he says to 
every mother, "Train up this child in the way he 
should go ; and when he is of age (accountable) 
he shall not depart from it;" and the reason he 
gives for such training is "for of such is the king- 
dom of heaven." No one is fit for the solemn 
responsibility of parentage, who is not first a Chris- 
tian, and imbued with the divine ideas of the ori- 
gin, nature, aim and destiny of man. The child 
receives objectively its first impressions, and has 
as pure a faith as any believer on earth. Tell it 
heaven is the abode of God, and no doubt asserts 
itself, that Jesus is the Saviour, and it is accepted 
without question, that we are sinful by nature, but 
saved by grace, and the fact is at once received 
upon the authority of a loving mother. Oh 
mothers, what a sacred charge is committed to 
your keeping! Not merely with loving arms to 
fold to your life-imparting bosom, the darling of 
your purest love, but by look and act, ere words 
can convey your thoughts, or infant lips lisp back 



210 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

the earnest response, you are to impart object- 
ively, to the susceptible nature of } T our offspring, 
those ideas that lay a sure foundation for the time 
to come. The impress, of a mother's earnest, 
loving, prayerful face, when engaged in devotion 
to God, lasts in my consciousness to-day, though 
the words uttered have perished forever. Place 
the kitten on the floor before your child, name it 
a time or two, and don't be surprised if, in future 
days, as it leaps in from out doors, your child in- 
stantly exclaims "Kitty ! Kitty !" If it had never 
seen the kitten, all the repetition of the name 
would be lost. So the early, impressible, Plastic 
period is to receive divine things objectively, in 
holy song, in fervent prayer, in loving words and 
smiles, in sanctuary surroundings, by pictures on 
the wall, and pictures in life : all are aiding in 
shaping and fashioning the moral destiny that 
comes under such influences. 

The uninformed, unobserving mother talks 
about "the dear little thing knowing nothing;" 
and when she becomes angry, and manifests a 
spirit of revenge and bitterness, even the natural 
food becomes tainted thereby, and the wrong im- 
pression is formed, though she is glad "the baby 
don't understand it ;" but what the child cannot 
explain it sees and feels, and the moral nature 
being open for whatever seed may be cast into it, 
when we early see the harvest, we at last learn, 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 211 

too late, "God is not mocked, for whatsoever a 
man sowcth that shall he also reap." 

Cardinal Manning said, "Give me the first seven 
years of a child's life and I don't care who takes 
the rest," meaning they, with rarely an exception, 
would be true to their ancestral faith. 

" 'Suffer these little ones to come unto me,' 

Was the command of Him, who, on the cross, 
Bowed His anointed head, and with His blood 

Purchased redemption for our fallen race; 
And blessed they who to that holy task 

Devote the energies of their strong years, 
Teaching with pious care the dawning light 

Of infant intellect to know ihe Lord." 

The next period to which we call your attention 
is the Formative Period, differing but little from 
the preceding one, except that it is characterized 
by producing the material out of which, the ele- 
ments of a future character are to come. The 
impressions received objectively, abide, and make 
the foundation for the moral reasons for a future 
course of procedure. A child, untaught in divine 
things, surrounded constantly by immoral scenes 
and influences, will form a very vague conception 
of the moral quality of an act, and without any 
special preventive means, will proceed along the 
curved line to his own destruction. Though he 
may see the evil consequences, in a measure, of 
his wrong-doing, being trained up to expect such 
as inevitable, and not being taught the better way, 



212 GET RIGHT WITH GOD . 

lie is not as responsible as the child of the same 
age, whose early training has been regarded with 
the utmost care. But who is responsible for the 
neglect? The one has imparted to him the mate- 
rial out of which must come, unless misused, a 
good character ; the other has been whipped for 
not stealing successfully. The one by precept 
and example is taught holy things, the other by 
the same method unhoty things. Change the con- 
ditions, teachings, and circumstances, the one for 
the other, and unless the depravity transmitted 
differ, the results would be comparatively the 
same. Neglect the first five years of a child and 
you will discover he has developed latent evil, 
formed habits of wrong thinking and wrong doing 
that are not so easy to dislodge, and reason must 
be assigned and motives brought to bear, why they 
should give place to those ideas that would have 
been received without question in the former pe- 
riod. The wrong teaching and wrong thinking 
have been strengthened by increased bias and a 
constantly developed depravity, giving vent in 
"Why can't I?" "What harm is it?" "Why, 
don't you let me?" "I want to," and many other 
such questions following a command or prohibi- 
tion ; and yet, while parents discover the moral 
habits forming, and hear with pained hearts the 
questioning, and see the downward tendency ; they 
do nothing to save or redeem the child, but are 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 213 

deluded by the devil into the belief that a crop of 
"wild oats," somehow, tends to make a better 
character, than a carefully guarded, well trained 
moral life, only to wake up in the midst of gray 
hairs, and a broken heart, to the fact, that wild 
oats when harvested don't produce golden wheat. 
During all this time, the material out of which the 
future character is to be fashioned, is being formed, 
and the time for most effective and permanent 
work passes away forever. This is a time also 
when the individual seeks social affiliations in 
keeping with his moral condition. How many a 
neglectful, unsuspecting mother, thinks her son 
could not be guilty of the crime which he openly 
commits a little farther along, that chills her life- 
blood, who, if she only knew the company he kept 
during this period, and the class of thoughts en- 
tertained, and the depravity developed, instead of 
being surprised, might lawfully expect just such a 
result from the character of material he is gather- 
ing ai'ointl him, with which he will build his fu- 
ture destiny. 

The next period to which we call attention is 
the Character Building Period. The materials 
have been gathered during the preceding fifteen 
years, good, bad, or indifferent, " gold, silver, 
precious stones, wood, hay, stubble," the last 
three easily consumed in the heat and friction of 
life's conflicts, the others abiding forever. Life in 



214 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

the future, will be largely of the character of the 
material now used. How important we refuse to 
use any material that we are not satisfied will 
stand the test. 

Under the illumination of the Holy Spirit, and 
the many helpful agencies which God in his mercy 
surrounds a soul with at this period, many awake 
to the necessity of a good foundation, and seek 
the Saviour, abandon their sins, and secure a good 
foundation for the time to come ; and building 
thereon "gold, silver, and precious stones," rear 
a superstructure which is the admiration of men 
and angels. To proceed without this found- 
ation is to fall short most fatally. Many, who in 
early life have had no opportunity to lay a proper 
foundation, whose early moral training has been 
neglected ; and who, during the formative period, 
secured only Avorthless material, have abandoned 
the whole, gone back to the child state, through 
conversion and regeneration ; and commenced life 
anew, as though they had not lived, with these 
disadvantages, the memory of the past, intellect- 
ual biases, developed depravity ; and the having 
to undo as far as possible the past, abandoning the 
long cherished false views of life, and the humili- 
ating condition of having to forsake all and begin 
anew. Thousands linger here unwilling to re- 
tract their steps, backup the perpendicular line to 
salvation, and begin on a scale of being in keeping 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 215 

with the life forfeited. Others, deceived with the 
idea it will work out all right ultimately, continue 
in the downward course until they pass the active 
period ; and become fixed in character and are 
eternally lost. 

The next period to which your attention is 
called, is the Active Period ; where the elements 
implanted and formulated begin to manifest them- 
selves ; and when the character formed within as- 
serts itself positively and openly ; the material on 
hand being put into active service, in accordance 
with its moral character, the spiritual nature un- 
der full headway openly, determinately, wilfully 
sinning, making plans and carrying out schemes, 
for sinful ends ; or, serving 'God earnestly, lov- 
ingly, constantly, and being felt for good in the 
world. 

How many sad wrecks lie all around us, who 
have just come to age ; how deep dyed their sins, 
how degraded their characters, how depraved 
their hearts, how shameful their lives? The pro- 
portion downward on the curved line has greatly 
increased, the sins are more daring, the society 
more degraded. The contrast between the Chris- 
tian young person at twenty, who started in early 
life under favorable conditions, and the one at 
twenty on the downward curved line, is discerna- 
ble to all. The countenance, conversation, aims, 
purposes, and affections are not the same. Espe- 



216 GET EIGHT WITH GOD. 

cially is this true of the Christian young lady 
who retains the spotless innocency of childhood, 
and, with a heart full of love to God, steadily 
pursues her upward course. No carnal lusts hold 
banquets in her imagination, no unhallowed de- 
sires, like a fire, burn in her bosom. How differ- 
ent the young man who has early taken the down- 
ward course, and is tainted and spotted with his 
crimes against conscience, purity, right and God ; 
and yet, oh infatuation unaccountable, blindness 
most appaling, how many young ladies leave the 
star found on the upper line, at this period, and 
come down to the star on the curved line for 
their social conditions, only to wake up to a life 
of sorrow and misery untold, to be a walking 
graveyard, with all the highest aspirations of a 
noble life, buried in the grave of hopelessness, be- 
cause they dared to undertake a task that has no 
warrant in revelation for its success, though an 
occasional exception may exist in human history. 
The endeavor to hold unfalteringly the high stand- 
ard, and draw a young man companion up to the 
elevated position she occupies, presupposes a 
measure of power, and quality of character that 
would demand companionship from another 
source, of another kind. The bleeding hearts, the 
miserable homes, the disappointed lives that eke 
out an existence, hopiog for deliverance in the 
grave, from the awful mistake of being " unequal- 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 217 

]y yoked together with unbelievers ; " as well as 
the thousands of unhappy souls, backsliden in 
heart and life, though pleasantly surrounded in 
temporal things, all tell the tale that to leave the 
upper star, to try to meet the lower one, or any- 
where along the way is to fall in self-conscious- 
ness, which has no compensation here or hereaf- 
ter. How can a young lady moving on lovingly, 
pure, obedient to God, happy in her sphere, come 
in loving contact with the individual at the same 
period of life, who has traveled away from God, 
and who has no affinity for the things that make 
up her life, come down to his level, enter his fel- 
lowship, enjoy his companionship, and harmonize 
herself with his low standard of life, without leav- 
ing behind her, with sad heart the " One Alto- 
gether Lovely," whose warning notes, as he fore- 
sees the weary hours, and broken heart, would 
prevent a calamity though common, yet so awful, 
no tongue can describe it. It is a rare exception 
that a sinful, godless young man wants for a com- 
panion for life, one who has reached the same de- 
graded status as himself. The worst young man 
demands that the one who is to be the wife of his 
bosom, and the mother of his children, shall have 
a spotless purity ; nor, does he object to her being 
a lovely spirit, adorned with the graces of Chris- 
tianity. Ten years from the period of their mar- 
riage, should such an one accept such companion- 



218 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

ship, his habits of evil become fixed ; all sense of 
honor dies, he drinks, smokes, swears, curses the 
Church and its claims upon her time and means, 
counteracts her Christian life upon their offspring, 
has no sympathy for her religious life, that barely 
exists, if not long ago crushed out, is untrue to 
her undying love ; and another home is despoiled 
of everything that makes a home. Oh, the wrecks, 
the stranded barks, that so gaily started on life's 
voyage, in the night of disappointed hopes and 
broken vows ; while storms of lust and pas- 
sion, rage and foam, we can hear the wail of 
despair ; as the thoughtless, beautiful young wo- 
man of twenty bright summers lies on the beach, 
wrecked, surrounded by motherhood, and borne 
down, most of all, by the golden memories of the 
past ; and what she might have been, had she not 
been deceived by a false deceptive hope, that she 
could redeem fallen humanity, by the loving touch 
of her noble Christian nature. Young woman, the 
time is coming, and now is, when the young lady, 
who has maintained a spotless character through 
the seductive allurements of a sinful world, will 
demand that the young man, who seeks her com- 
panionship for life, and asks to share her fortunes, 
must meet her with as spotless a record for pur- 
ity and uprightness, as he requires at her hands. 
May God help us all to break down the unequal 
view commonly received, that a young man can 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 219 

be, jind do, as he pleases, and expect a pure young 
woman to accept his offers ; while she must be 
spurned from society because of one misstep, and 
may the young women of our land make as stren- 
uous a demand for a moral character in keeping 
with their own, and save the coming generations 
from the disadvantages resulting from such un- 
holy alliances ; and the perpetuation of a deprav- 
ity, so deep stained, in our offspring, that a holy 
mother cannot counteract the effect. 

A few incidents, that are to the point, which 
have come under my own observation, will not 
be out of place here. While holding a meeting 
in Iowa, a young lady was much moved while seek- 
ing, holiness at the altar, but was not blessed. 
After a terrific struggle she made known the fact. 
She had entered into a God-forbidden alliance, and 
though her affections were strong, her convictions 
were, she could not go any farther without for- 
feiting the divine favor. Grace triumphed and 
she abandoned her cherished purpose, was most 
blessedly saved, and filled with the love of God, 
the pleasure of which, she said, was more to her 
than the realization of any cherished object. Her 
eyes were opened to see where her feet were 
tending, and now, being delivered out of the 
clutches of a godless young man, who had con- 
cealed his nefarious business under a business 
name, she cannot express her gratitude to God 



220 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

in terms warm enough for her wonderful deliver- 
ance. I have reason to believe this blackboard 
exercise was the means of opening her eyes to the 
facts ; for, in two more short weeks, the line 
would have been crossed, and no possible escape 
could be made. 

Another incident of a beautiful young lady, who 
had accepted the statement that her company was 
a Christian, and yet retained sceptical views. 
After engagement, he then advanced positively his 
false views of Christianity, showing at once there 
could be no spiritual affinity. She had the force 
of character so many seem to lack, to proceed no 
farther, and was saved from a life-long loneliness 
in spiritual things. How many have told me, 
with broken hearts, they hoped to reach them 
through their influence, and lead them to Christ : 
but how utterly fruitless their efforts, can only be 
described by their despairing looks, and disconso- 
late hearts. Being unwilling to drop down to the 
moral grade of their unholy companions, they 
have tried, at a fearful cost, to sustain their best 
convictions, with a moral and semi-Christian life, 
but how the heart longs for the one they love the 
most on earth, to love what they love, to respond 
to their religious desires and emotions, only to 
be either laughed at, or evaded, and because of 
the unequal contest, for a time (and sometimes), 
forever, abandon their Christian life. 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 221 

Another incident comes under my notice. A 
young lady of especial merit was engaged to a 
godless young man who played favorable to reli- 
gion. Under the light of this blackboard lecture, 
she saw the awful mistake she was about to make, 
gave up her company, and was glad to escape 
what, to her, was plainly to be seen, a life of un- 
happincss. On meeting the one who claimed to 
love ( ?) her, he spurned her for making Christ her 
.choice, proving he had no true love and no affinity 
for what she had always desired, a true Christian 
life. She is now the happy wife of a promising 
minister of the Gospel, and eternity alone will 
suffice to tell her gratitude for her salvation. 

I would like to dwell more at length on this 
theme, but space will not permit. However, be- 
fore closing this part of the address, I wish to 
warn our }^oung people of the risky experiment 
of starting out upon life's voyage without Chris- 
tian companionship. The saddest pictures life can 
afford, are those who, true to their convictions of 
right, and knowing no moral remedy is found in 
the unchristian divorce laws of our so-called 
Christian land, sit down in despair, to drag out a 
career, only commenced, of sorrow and woe. 

We now come to the Fixed Period. To one 
not conversant with the facts, the idea of fixed- 
ness of character being reached between thirty 
and forty, may seem an early period. A careful 



222 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

investigation warrants my saying this is a suffi- 
ciently late period. Not very many later on in 
life embrace the Saviour, and live a Christian life, 
for many reasons. First, the distance back to 
God, and the obstacles and adjustments to be 
made, as well as a strengthened depravity con- 
tending for the mastery. Second, the intellectual 
biases and long established habit of rejecting the 
truth. Third, the scered condition of the con- 
science, and hardened, unfeeling condition of the 
sensibilities. A careful examination of those who 
have presented themselves at the altar of prayer 
over thirty-five, has proven in the great majority of 
cases, they were once converted, but are woefully 
backslidden. And then the Scripture says "the 
wicked shall not live out half his days." Three 
score } r ears and ten being the limit, you can see 
the time fixed is not too low. Examine a congre- 
gation as I have, time and again, having those 
converted at ten } T ears of age, and on up, arise, 
and you will find the result as I place here below : 

No. Christians present between 80 and 90, - 3 

70 and 80, - - 12 

60 and 70, - 29 

50 and 60, - - 60 

" " " under 50, - - - - 163 

No. converted after they were 70 yrs. old, - 

< ' " between 60 and 70 " - - 



LECTURE TO THE YOUNG. 223 

No. converted between 50 and 60 " - 6 

<< " " 40 and 50 " - - 9 

" " 30 and 40 « - 27 

20 and 30 " - - 72 
15 and 20 " - 96 

" " " 10 and 15 " - - 47 

" " under 10 " - 3 

The smallness of the last two numbers is ac- 
counted for by the fact that this was an "Old 
Saints Meeting," and none under fifty were to 
participate, consequently the absence of the 
younger classes. A former test, where the aver- 
age number of young people were present, gave 
the usual result of a much larger number con- 
verted between ten and fifteen years, and under 
ten years old. What a warning this is to the 
thousands who have passed their twenty-fifth year ! 
Character formed, habits fixed, all proclivities 
downward, confirmed in sin ! This design war- 
rants my saying : No such life can be reached by 
any process subsequent to the early periods that 
can easily be reached by passing successfully 
through them , Parents, "train up' ' your children 
for God, and the Church. "Children, obey your 
parents in the Lord." Young people, be careful 
with what material you undertake the building of 
life's superstructure. Young men and young la- 
dies, look well to your actions and associations ; 
trust the God of your youth and keep on the 



224 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

highway, so that in future years you may be able 
to say truly, "Oh God, my heart is fixed." Be- 
ware, all, of the first downward step. Should 
your early training be neglected, come to Jesus ; 
ask him to bless and save } T ou. If you have missed 
the best life, seek by return to God hi early years 
"the better way." Have you thoughtlessly and 
even wilfully pressed your v>ay downward, leave 
the bad, and, retracing your steps back to the 
cross, start out in the good way. To refuse here 
is to enter so far into life's intricate mazes 
and develop such depravity as to make it in- 
evitable you have a mixed life, a godless com- 
panion, wicked children, long established habits 
of evil to contend with, family government broken 
down, etc , but even here grace can save you from 
sin, and holiness give you relief from the inbeing 
of sin ; but no promise is given to believe some of 
the consequences of yo ur own unholy choices can 
be averted. If you have hardened yourself in sin 
till crowded with pressing years, remember, 

"There's a Tndeness in God's mercy, 
Like the wideness of the sea." 

Avail yourself at once of fleeting opportuni- 
ties, and, though you lose all else, save your poor, 
perishing, immortal soul, from that fixedness in 
unholiness, that will make your doom inevitable. 
May the many young who may read these pages 
secure the best life and meet the writer in eternal 
blessedness. 



NUGGETS OF GOLD. 225 



NUGGETS OF GOLD. 



/(IN does not get childish when it gets old. 

«V Man can never reach his highest qualification 

JJ for work when he is morally at unrest himself. 

Christ gave himself for us, that he might give 
his Divine nature to us. 

Divine love is revealed through the sacrifice of 
self. 

Sin is a perversion of self. 

Where self love predominates, self-destruction 
ensues, in proportion to the love of self. 

He who wishes for himself the most, will love 
himself the least. 

Praying for faith, when you must have faith to 
pray. 

Thomas Harrison says: " I have asked God 
and /believe Him," — not he gives me faith. 

Purity cannot be by growth, any more than 
pardon is an impartation, both are the removal of 
something. 

The sinner renounces his sins, the believer sac- 
rifices himself. 

We believe the promise, and we receive what is 
promised. 

Righteousness is self nailed to the cross with 
both hands toward heaven, facing God. 



226 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Right being is essential to right doing. 

" To fear is to have more faith in your antag- 
onist than Christ." 

The Holy Spirit honors the truth only and wit- 
nesses to his own work. 

God slays our idols, but saves our Isaacs. 

Our work is to be all of God, and for God. 

Intellectual genuflections, prosy essays, and 
speculative theology, are at an awful discount 
after a genuine revival. 

Lawlessness is opposition to the law, and not 
being devoid of it. Sin is lawlessness. 

Controversy never converts or sanctifies. We 
are not to argue the case, but preach and testify 
to the facts. 

A holy man is a power everywhere, and all the 
time, up to the measure of his gifts and capacity. 

Holiness is to sin what the brightness of noon- 
day sunlight is to midnight darkness. 

Heaven for the saint, Hell for the sinner, a 
Saviour for every man, and for every man a per- 
fect Saviour. 

Infirmities are to be gloried in as they magnify 
the grace of God. Sins are to be hated and 
abandoned forever. 

God cannot pardon an unforgiving spirit. 

God forgives more sin for us in a moment than 
our worst enemy can perpetrate against us in a 
life time. 



The author's experience. 227 



THE AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE. 



"V WAS born in New Eoss, Wexford county, 
Ireland, March 25th, 1853. I was the young- 
V, est of twelve children. My father was the 
commander of a sailing vessel plying between 
Waterford, Ireland, and Quebec, Canada. He 
was of the old type of Wesleyan Methodists. He 
died at sea when I was nine years of age, and 
was buried beneath its waves. My loss made a 
deep impression on my mind, and I vowed to 
God, I would live a good life. We were all 
trained religiously from our infancy. 

My mother was a most devoted Christian. 
Soon after my birth, she became a confirmed inva- 
lid, and was incapacitated for active church duties. 
Still her deep piety constantly pervaded our home, 
and her influence in moulding and shaping our 
religious character, was of incalculable value to 
us. I can truthfully say : 

"She led me first to God. 

Her words and prayers were my young spirit's dew." 

She never recovered from the sudden and 
painful shock, received at the death of m}^ father, 
and although borne with Christian grace and for- 



228 GET tllGHT WITH GOD. 

titude, she gradually sunk under the crushing 
weight of sorrow and the influence of disease,, and 
on the 13th of January, 1864, she passed away 
in glorious triumph. Shortly before she died 
she called me to her bedside, and laying her hand 
on my head, gave me her parting blessing, and 
asked me to meet her in heaven. I promised her 
I would, from the fulness of my young heart. 
How I loved my mother! and how her hallowed 
life shines out at every step of my pilgrimage in 
these later years, as one of the brightest exam- 
ples of godliness, patience, and love. Well do I 
remember at eventide, how she would call me to 
her, place the family Bible on her knee, and, as I 
sat on my stool at her feet, she would explain to 
me the wondrous truths of God's Word. Thus 
in my childhood days, the sweet truths of the Gos- 
pel were poured into my listening ear, by the voice 
of my loving mother. O, ye who have praying 
mothers to hear your tale of sorrow, to press you 
to her loving bosom, to teach }^ou heavenly truths, 
and lead your feet up the shining way, heed them, 
prize them, follow them. 

Until her death I was continued in school, mak- 
ing rapid progress, but this sad event in my life 
changed all our family plans, and I was ap- 
prenticed to a dry goods firm by my brother, who 
is now a member of the Cincinnati Conference, of 
the Methodist Episcopal Church. During my 



the author's experience. 229 

stay there, I was sorely tried, and had it not been 
for the influence of a mother and father's prayers, 
might have made awful shipwreck. Sleeping in 
an apartment where several godless young men 
were rooming, after a fearful struggle, I gained 
my consent to pray, as I had never retired to rest 
without doing so. It was a cold winter night. I 
was all prepared to retire. As I knelt a pitcher 
of water, cold as ice, was poured over me, and 
a voice said, •' No praying here." The lamp was 
out ; I arose, and in the darkness, said, Boys, my 
mother taught me to pray, and I intend to, at any 
cost. I was not molested any more, and some 
time afterward, saw some of those young men 
converted, though I was not a Christian myself. 
As I laid on my bed, among strangers, how I longed 
for my mother — my precious mother, though I 
did not understand it then, I do now ; the divine 
Comforter came, and I quietly slept. 

From there I was taken to London, and engaged 
in a book house, in Paternoster Bow ; but one se- 
vere temptation came to me here. The head clerk 
desired me to aid him in appropriating some of 
the means of the firm, but by telling the truth, I 
was shielded from an awful temptation, and, ad- 
vanced in my position in the office. Here I was 
surrounded with vice in its aggravated forms, as 
seen in great cities, but the admonitions and pray- 
ers of godly parents followed me in all the envi- 



230 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

ronments of sin. I was not a Christian, but had 
not forgotten to pray, and when I did anything in 
violation of the teaching of my parents I found 
no rest until I sought and found forgiveness. 

In the fall of 1806 my two sisters concluded to 
come to America. I being desirous to accompany 
them, they consented, and we embarked at Lon- 
donderry for Quebec, which place we reached in 
September. We proceeded thence to Buffalo, 
N. Y., where we met my oldest brother, whose 
face I had never seen, though thirteen years of 
age. It would be hard to imagine my feelings as 
I found myself in the embrace of a brother, whose 
name had been familiar to me from my childhood, 
and from whose hand words of greeting had often 
come to the bedside of 1113^ invalid mother, bring- 
ing joy or sorrow as they were eagerly read. 
How often I had longed to know him face to face, 
and now with tears of gladness we clasped each 
other with feelings, it seems to me, akin to those 
experienced by loved ones in their greetings on 
the other shore. On account of long and close 
confinement in shops and stores I had not very 
good health, and concluded to farm. My employ- 
ment was light, and I soon gained a robust frame, 
that is the foundation of the remarkable powers 
of endurance I possess to-da} T , and which qualify 
me so graciously for the labors to which I am 
called. Those were days of sunshine and pleas- 



THE AUTHOR 'S EXPERIENCE. 231 

ant surroundings, and are remembered as some of 
the happiest days of my youth. I now began to 
plan for the future. I was not wild and reckless, 
attending church and Sabbath school regularly, 
and always preferring the society of Christians. 
Yet in many things I was a sinner before God. 
My first violation of the Sabbath day occurred at 
this time. I went hunting, but such a conviction 
seized me after I started, I promised God if he 
would forgive me for this, I would never do so 
again. Had not the foundation been laid in child- 
hood, broad and deep, by pious parents, in the 
Sunday school, class room and the home, I might 
easily have drifted off into the sinful course of 
life so common to thousands around me. My 
temperament was such as to fit me for a leader. 
I was amusing, mirth-provoking, and the creator 
of the amusements for the hour in all our social 
gatherings. I had no desire for the glaring vices 
of the young, and my nature rebelled against pro- 
fanity, intemperance, dancing, gaming and lewd- 
ness ; 3^et sometimes I disobej r ed the voice of con- 
science, and went into forbidden paths. 

In February, 1868, a Mr. Brustead paid us a 
visit in our neighborhood. His heart was warmed 
with revival fire, and he was going through the 
community calling on the people, and inviting them 
to attend a meeting held in St. Mark's Methodist 
Episcopal Church, on Elk street, Buffalo, N. Y. 



232 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

Fond of singing, and hearing them sing as they 
went to church, I consented to go. As we started 
to church they commenced singing those son^s so 
well calculated to stir the heart of the careless 
sinner. They were riding along in the sleigh, 
drawn by a pair of fine black horses, singing "Oh 
you must be a lover of the Lord, or you can't go 
to heaven when you die." I had joined in, when 
one sitting by my side said to me, "Are you a 
Christian?" 

I answered no, and ceased to sing. The power 
of a word, who can tell what trains of thought are 
startled by a simple question. 

"A nameless man, amid a crowd, that thronged the daily 

mart, 
Let fall a word of hope and love unstudied from the heart; 
A whisper on the tumult thrown, a transitory breath, 
It raised a brother from the dust, it saved a soul from 

death. 
Ogerm! O fount! O word of love! O thought at random 

cast! 
Ye w'e're but little at the first, but mighty at the last!" 

At the meeting I thought the sermon was all 
for me. Rushing, thronging to the spot came the 
memories of former days — my dying mother's 
blessing, my unfulfilled promise, and the godly 
admonitions of pious friends. My heart melted 
as wax before fire, and my mental responses were 
all in harmony with the fervid appeals of God's 
minister. I desired to go at once, as a seeker of 



the author's experience. 233 

religion, and when my brothers William and 
James, now in heaven, went forward to renew 
their consecration vows, I went forward and pre- 
sented myself as a penitent ; I sought, and found 
pardoning mercy, and my struggle was soon 
ended in a glad release, and in the peaee that 
comes from a sense of sins forgiven, and the wit- 
ness of the Spirit of my adoption into the family 
of God. 

The cross now had wondrous beauty to me. 
Deity was a pleasure ; I walked in happy com- 
munion with God. The Bible seemed a new book, 
and the means of grace were my delight. I 
started out on my religious career ; and though but 
16 years of age, I was found conducting cottage 
prayer meetings, and I had a strong desire to 
preach the gospel to perishing multitudes around 
me. I found myself happy in active service, and 
in positive efforts to save the souls of men. 

An incident occurred sometime after my con- 
version, changing for a time the whole phase of 
my religious life. At the funeral of a young 
friend and class-mate of the Sabbath-school, no 
preacher being present, not a word was said, and 
silently the body was laid in the grave. A strange 
feeling came over me ; I had never spoken on 
such an occasion, vet it seemed manifest that 
some religious person ought to have led in a song 
and prayer service. No one had the courage to 



234 GET IlIGHT WITH GOD. 

do so, and I, after some considerable mental 
struggle refrained from saying or doing what the 
Spirit had evidently impressed on my mind as my 
duty. I promised God solemnly at the close of 
this scene that on any future-like occasion I would 
not grieve the Spirit and shirk from a plain, reli- 
gious duty. Biding home after the burial with a 
Christian lady in whom I had great confidence, I 
disclosed my feelings, telling of the impressions 
I had experienced, expecting to find sympathy 
and possibly helpful counsel. But greatly to my 
surprise I received no answer save a smile of dis- 
approval of my assuming such responsibility. 
That smile kept me bach three years from my 
divinely appointed mission, and will nigh cost me 
my soid's salvation. 

The picture on that face was not easily, or soon 
forgotten, and the impression was all unfavorable 
to my happiness of mind, as I had looked to the 
more experienced Christian for guidance. Like 
Jonah, I now "fled from the presence of the 
Lord," only to find an environment of trouble 
wherever I went. I left the community w T here I 
had lived so happily, and where so many had 
been interested in me, and where my religious 
life dawned so auspiciously," and contemplating 
the life of a farmer moved West to Kansas. I 
soon learned neither happiness nor safety could 
be hoped for, apart from duty. In business there 



THE AUTHORS EXPERIENCE. ZOO 

was failure, in body sickness, in mind unrest, in 
heart, a sense of God's disapprobation. Lying 
on a sick bed, not far from the border line be- 
tween the seen and the unseen worlds, there was 
cause and time for sober reflection, for penitential 
prayer, for vows of constancy and faithfulness to 
my convictions in the future, if God would spare 
me. While praying "the peace which passeth all 
understanding*' came to my heart, and I was re- 
stored to the divine favor. Soon I began to 
change for the better, and having heard about the 
blessing of holiness from my infancy, I began 
to seek it as a necessary qualification for what 
was, no doubt, to me, my life work. I 1-ittle 
dreamed of such success as has crowned my feeble 
efforts since then. My greatest conflict was to con- 
sent to do that which it seemed impossible for me 
to do acceptably. However, I promised the Lord 
I would obey him at any cost ; consecrated myself, 
my all, to him forever, and trusted the blood to 
cleanse me and make me holy, and I entered into 
rest. About that time Eev. A. B. Earle was hold- 
ing revival services in Lawrence, Kansas. I has- 
tened to the feast, and found he was urging his 
Baptist brethren to receive as " a rest of faith " 
what I have received as scriptural holiness. These 
services were very refreshing to me, and aided in 
confirming me in this blessed experience. 

As my heavenly Father opened my way I 



236 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

walked in it. I was providentially thrown into 
business in St. Louis that gave me an opportunity 
to try my gifts. In October, 1873, I was licensed 
to preach, and from that time forward I publicly 
ministered unto the people. 

During a camp-meeting held that summer I met 
my first wife. A mutual attachment being formed ; 
it resulted in our marriage Aug. 18, 1874. She 
proved to be an excellent wife, a Christian help- 
meet and a lovinir, self-sacrificing mother. As the 
result of our marriage there was given unto us 
four children. Our life together, amid the cares 
and responsibilities of an itinerant preacher's 
work, was blessed and crowned with an unbroken 
affection, and many seals to our work. Wonder- 
fully gifted in prayer, and a living exponent of the 
doctrine of perfect love, she won many souls to 
Jesus. But life is not always sunshine outwardly. 
That grim monster death crossed the threshold of 
our happy home and took our loved first-born, 
beautiful May Alice, Dec. 1st, 1880. 

Since our happy marriage I had entered the 
regular ministry , and was a member of the South- 
ern Illinois Annual Conference. I had preached 
to others of the victory of Christ over death, and 
sought to dry the tears of others when weep- 
ing over their dead, but we discovered it is one 
thing to be the comforter, and another the be- 
reaved. When sorrow-like billows rolled over 



the author's experience. 237 

our poor hearts as our loved one died in my arms, 
then came the first severe test of my consecra- 
tion of all to God forever. Glory be to God for 
the grace that triumphs in such an hour. It is 
easy to say, " The Lord gave, and the Lord hath 
taken away," but it takes grace to say, ''Blessed 
be the name of the Lord." One year and one 
month from that time, in the same room, my 
darling wife — having presented us with our only 
boy«, John Walter, it being Christmas evening 
when he was born — passed into eternity. No one 
can tell what a day may bring forth. From 
promise of recovery to health in nature's accus- 
tomed season, in a few days there came a fever. 
God gave her clear intimations that the end was 
nigh. Friday night, December 30th, she called 
me toher bedside and said : "Darling, I am go- 
ing to die. I want you by me, that I may talk 
to you," Then looking up, she said : "It is glo- 
rious, it is glorious ; don't you see our darling 
May standing at the study door?" I said no, 
dear, I do not. She urged me to go to the study 
door and see her, but of course my e} 7 es were 
holden. I went, but did not see her. She said : 
" I am sorry I cannot make you see her." She 
reminded her mother and myself of our human 
weaknesses, and exhorted us to greater watchful- 
ness and care in our coming life, and then sans; 
as I never heard her before : 



238 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 

"Wont that be a happy meeting 
Over on the other shore?" 

Singing and talking she passed the night. The 
next day she desired the baptism of her boy, and 
said, after receiving him into her arms, "I give 
you to God and the church ; you will be a world- 
wide Evangelist, and tens of thousands of souls 
will be saved through your instrumentality. Time 
alone will tell the truthfulness of the prophecy. 
May it be fulfilled for the Divine Glory. She 
then talked to each of the children, the many 
friends, gave her dying charge to her mother, and 
then, turning to me, said : "Work ! work ! work ! 
Thousands of souls are going down to death. If 
there is any such thing as coming back I will be 
with you ;" and then commenced singing — 

"My latest sun is sinking fast, 
My race is nearly run," &c. , 

and sung every verse through with a clear voice, 

except the last, that she repeated, and when she 

came to the last word, shouted Victory ! victory ! 

victory ! 

"And her last fond lingering look is given 
To the love she leaves, and then to heaven, 
As if she would bear that love away 
To a purer world and brighter day." 

The hallowed influence of that triumphant death- 
bed upon my poor heart, who can tell ? There 
has been a spirit force in constant action near me, 



THE AUTHOR'S EXPERIENCE. 239 

that lias often nerved me in many a valiant con- 
flict in the Master's cause. What a ministration of 
good has "May" and my sainted wife, "Jennie," 
been to me in many struggles for victory. In 
some sense the promise has been fulfilled. "If 
such a thing as coming back is possible I will be 
with you." This separation by death was the 
culminating providence that led me into the field 
as an Evangelist. What has been accomplished 
during those years have been gathered by a fel- 
low laborer in the Gospel, and prepared in a vol- 
ume entitled " Evangelism and the Revival Work 
of G. W. Wilson." I close this account of my 
experience with gratitude to God, that up to date 
I have witnessed nearly ten thousand penitent 
hearts kneel at the altar and seek salvation, rec- 
lamation, or sanctifi cation, and God has not 
been unmindful of his servant, but has watered 
my poor soul like the King's Garden. All glory 

to Jesus. 

" Happy, if with my latest breath, 
I may but gasp his Name; 
Preach him to all, and cry in death, 
Behold! behold the Lamb." 



240 GET RIGHT WITH GOD. 



CONCLUSION. 



Dear reader, we now elose this little volume. 
It has been hurriedly written in the warmth of a 
heart that desires to bless the world. May the 
blessed Spirit get you into right relations with God, 
according to the true " Statement of Doctrine," 
as set forth by "Paul, and may his Professions 
and experience be the means of shedding true 
light on your pathway, leading through the " Two 
distinct experiences' ' of the Scripture. Many "In- 
firmities" will encompass your path, but through 
them all you may possess the full enjoyment of 
" Scriptural Holiness." If you are a servant of 
God, called to work in his vine} T ard, you may 
have many " Genuine revivals" under the " Bap- 
tism of the Holy Ghost," through the exercise of 
a living "Faith." May the reader and writer live 
useful and fruitful lives. Glorify God in our 
bodies and souls, and be crowned in heaven at 
last. 

" Oh, how sweet it will be in that beautiful laud, 

So free from all sorrow and pain, 
With songs on our lips and with harps in our hands, 

To meetoue another acniin." 



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